Central European University announces departure from Budapest
Viktor Orban pictured giving a speech to the European People’s Party. Wikimedia Commons.
Central European University announced on October 25 that it will no longer admit students to its Budapest campus after failing to reach a deal with the Hungarian government over its legal status.
Central European University is a private, English-language university offering graduate programs in Budapest, among other cities. It was founded in Prague in 1991 by a group of European academics backed by Hungarian-American financier and philanthropist George Soros. In 1993, CEU moved to Budapest.
CEU operated unimpeded until March 28, when Hungarian Minister of Human Capacities Zoltan Balog proposed an amendment to Hungary’s Law on National Higher Education, which created restrictions for the university. CEU President Michael Ignatieff said the proposal “would make it impossible for CEU to continue its operations.”
The amendment forces universities accredited in non-European member countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to operate a campus in that accrediting country in order to be able to award degrees in Hungary. Although CEU is not mentioned by name in the legislation, it is the only university in Hungary affected. Hungary’s parliament adopted the legislation within a week of Balog’s statement.
In its departure announcement, CEU included an ultimatum, giving the Hungarian government until December 1 to guarantee its academic freedom.
In response, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs stated that CEU “will continue to operate in Hungary today, and…in the future,” and that the government “does not respond to political bluffs.”
CEU partnered with New York’s Bard College on October 13, 2017, in order to comply with the Hungarian law. However, the school said Hungarian authorities “would not sign the agreement,” leaving it “unable to remain as a U.S.-degree-granting institution” despite having fulfilled its legal obligations.
Many observers suggested that the law was one part of a greater campaign by the Hungarian government against Soros. Since 2015, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has attacked Soros and his affiliated philanthropic endeavors with aggressive rhetoric and policy. Orban frequently refers to CEU as “Soros University” in public.
Much of the international community has expressed support for the university. The European Parliament adopted a resolution to enact Article 7 sanctions against Hungary for breaching fundamental EU values on May 17, 2017. These sanctions could include a suspension of Hungary’s voting privileges in the EU Council. Following CEU’s ultimatum to Orban’s government, American Ambassador to Hungary David Cornstein stepped in on the university’s behalf, noting that CEU is a cornerstone of U.S.-Hungarian relations
The Hungarian public has also protested Hungary’s treatment of the school. Thousands of supporters marched in Budapest on October 26 in support of CEU. Students at the university expressed shock, casting doubt on assertions that CEU retains deep ties to Soros and comparing Orban’s actions to those by Russia.
It is unclear whether the university will be able to secure an agreement with Orban’s government before its self-imposed deadline; CEU is already making logistical arrangements for its move to Vienna, as the Hungarian government remains unwilling to make concessions. This development will only accelerate the deterioration of Hungary’s relations with the West.