Several Hungarian universities will lose Erasmus, Horizon support next year

Válasz Online, a Hungarian news outlet, learned that the students of 21 Hungarian, foundation-run universities will probably not be able to partake in the Erasmus system from next year. Furthermore, their teachers will lose Horizon program allocations. The reason is the ongoing and harmful debate between the European Commission and the Hungarian government concerning corruption and the rule of law.

According to Válasz Online, the Hungarian government has time until 1 September to modify several laws concerning the operation of foundation-run universities. However, the Hungarian parliament will not hold a session until September, and the European Commission needs some time to analyse and accept the new regulation. Afterwards, they have the opportunity to recommend the European Council to open the money taps of the two programs concerned.

It seems the Orbán administration is running out of time and will not be able to seize the Erasmus and Horizon allocations, which will result in the stoppage of these programs at 21 Hungarian universities from this September. The institutions of higher education include even Budapest’s famous Corvinus University. However, the cabinet thinks they did everything they could, and the European Commission does not want to negotiate and reach an agreement.

According to Tibor Navracsics, the minister for regional development, they sent a draft to the European Commission a month ago. But they have not received any answer yet. That is why they do not want to agree with Budapest, Navracsics added. However, the spokesman of the European Commission highlighted at a press conference this week that they told the Hungarian government what changes they need and they will only analyse already accepted laws, not drafts. Up until now, they analysed bills.