Orbán seen entrenching right-wing dominance through Hungarian university reform – Reuters
Hungary is set to pass legislation on Tuesday setting up foundations to take over the running of universities and cultural institutions in a move critics say extends the ideological imprint of the ruling right-wing government.
Currently, most Hungarian universities are owned by the state but have a large amount of academic autonomy.
The bill, drafted by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s deputy, says they need to be privatised because modern conditions require a “re-thinking of the role of the state” and the foundations will manage institutions more efficiently.
Orbán’s government will appoint boards of trustees to run the foundations, which will control substantial real estate assets and benefit from billions of euros worth of EU funds, while also having considerable influence over universities’ everyday life.
The government will endow several of the foundations using its stakes in blue chip companies MOL and drug maker Richter. It will also allocate over 1 trillion forints ($3.3 billion) worth of EU recovery funds for the revamp of universities.
Orbán, who came to power in 2010, has tightened his control over much of Hungarian public life, such as the media, education and scientific research, as he seeks to reshape national culture. Orbán set out the changes in a speech in 2018 when he envisioned embedding his political system in a new “cultural era”.
His government, promoting what it calls Christian, conservative values, has strongly opposed immigration and limited gay adoption and legal recognition of transgender people.
Critics say the new legislation was the next move in extending its ideological influence and power grab.
“This is part of the ideological war that Orbán declared two years ago,”
said Attila Chikán, a professor at the Corvinus economics university in Budapest and a former minister in Orbán’s first government in 1998.
“They make it no secret: they want to assume intellectual power after political and economic power.”
He noted the move came after the government boosted controls over academic research and forced a top liberal school, Central European University, to move to Vienna in 2019.
The bill, to be voted on in parliament on Tuesday, says “the fundamental expectation is that the foundations actively defend the survival and well-being of the nation and the interests of enriching its intellectual treasures.”
The foundations running some of the cultural institutions would have patriotic tasks such as “strengthening national identity.”
The opposition said with supporters of Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, and even government ministers, sitting on the boards, Orbán could retain a degree of control over universities beyond the 2022 election and could undermine their autonomy.
Gergely Arató, an MP from opposition party Democratic Coalition said
the bill would take away “the property, traditions, community, knowledge” of Hungarian people and give them to government allies controlling the universities.
The government says universities would benefit from the new model. István Stumpf, government commissioner in charge of the changes, declined an interview with Reuters.
In October, students at Hungary’s University of Theatre and Film Arts blockaded their school in a row over the imposition of a government-appointed board that protesters said undermined the school’s autonomy.
Read alsoOrbán cabinet to “protect” universities and media from foreign influence
Source: Reuters
What the hell is going on with this country
Nothing wrong with having conservative right wing values taught in the Hungarian education system. The liberal and leftist socialist/communist teachings that the media and their masters are trying to preserve are a cancer that destroy their host and should be eradicated from publicly funded institutions of learning. Hungary and most of Europe tried the liberal /socialist/communist system and look what it has done to its host. NO THANKS.
Strengthening national identity??? Let’s not forget the PM himself studied at Pembroke College Oxford, on a scholarship funded by none other than the Soros foundation, there’s irony for you. Plus his son recently graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy, at the tax payers expense of course. Do as I say not as I do.
Hopeless country.
It is obvious that Mario is NOT a Hungarian CITIZEN and – furthermore – is miserably unhappy living in this wonderful country.
He should carefully place that tiny club of his into some clean underpants and join his beloved illegal migrants on the long road to nowhere.
Almost all of us will cheer for a very long time …..
It is because Mr. Orban studied in Oxford, he is very aware of globalists’ interest of leftist, socialist brainwashing. This must never be allowed in Hungarian schools or Universities.
Us graduates of leftist, socialist brainwashing end up protesting and burning down cities. This is acceptable in the US, especially in cities like Portland, Oregon. These university graduates end up on the street because they did not study subjects that are useful in the job market. They were all indoctrinated in Marxist philosophy.
Hungary cannot afford to waste the minds of their precious young people.
Oh dear Maria Von Theresa, you failed to mention his son attending Sandhurst? Thoughts?
Not a mention in this article of how the Left has control of Universities all across Europe and America?
Why is it wrong for right wing to do what the Left wing has been doing for decades???
Just asking!
You’re right, Hungary can’t afford to waste the minds of precious young people. But I think most of them want to study abroad or when they have studied, go abroad anyway. The wages here are appalling. This is now, 2021 and the population here is declining, we need to look at why. The young people are the future so we need to know what would make them want to stay here to build their careers and lives.
Sorry if this appeared twice, had a bit of trouble posting it
Hungarian students should study abroad. It is always good to know the ways of the enemy. Many Hungarians work outside of the country and after a few years they move home.
The standard of living is and life style is as good in Hungary as in other EU nations. Hungary at least is a country where the citizens are safe and women are not being raped.
There are many of people who spend a large part of the year in Hungary. There is also a great many people who immigrated and want to immigrate to Hungary. If Hungary was such a bad country to reside in western Europeans would not want to live there.