Opposition parties decry government ‘threat to close down CEU’

Budapest, March 29 (MTI) – Opposition parties on Wednesday slammed the government for what they say is a threat to close down the Central European University (CEU).

The opposition Socialists said CEU, founded and financed by American billionaire George Soros, is a national treasure, and the government’s “threat” to close it down is tantamount to “treason”.

The party reacted to human resources minister Zoltán Balog’s recent bill to amend the law on higher education in order to clarify and tighten rules on foreign institutions of higher education that operate in Hungary.

According to press reports, President and Rector of CEU Michael Ignatieff said in a letter to students and teachers that in his interpretation the amendment would also apply to CEU.

The Socialists said in a statement that the Orbán government “is always looking for new enemies” in order to distract attention from its “sins”, and after its attacks against NGOs and Brussels, it has now launched an attack against the CEU.

CEU is among Hungary’s top-ranking universities each year and several Hungarian leaders have been among its graduates, including ruling Fidesz government members and one of the party’s MEPs, Balog said.

The Socialists will stand up for CEU and call on all opposition parties and educational institutions to follow suit, he added.

The human resources ministry said on Tuesday the measures were needed after a government probe found violations and shortfalls at the “majority” of foreign colleges and universities that offer instruction in Hungary. In the future, the law will allow universities outside of the European Union to operate in Hungary only on the basis of an international agreement, the ministry said.