higher education law

Hungary and the US state of Maryland signs interstate deal to keep McDaniel College in Budapest

Hungary and the US state of Maryland have signed an interstate agreement to ensure the continued operations of McDaniel College in Budapest under Hungary’s amended higher education law, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.

Hungary amended its higher education law earlier this year to tighten rules governing the operations of foreign universities in the country. Under the amendment, higher education institutions outside the European Union are allowed to operate in Hungary only on the basis of an interstate agreement.

Szijjártó told MTI by phone after signing the agreement in Annapolis, Maryland, that the deal proved that “those who want to reach an agreement with the Hungarian government” on complying with the new higher education law “can do so”.

The agreement signed with McDaniel College is the first one ensuring the continued operations of a non-EU foreign university in Hungary under the new law, Szijjártó noted. It stipulates that the college must award degrees to its students in Budapest as a US-accredited institution, the minister added.

McDaniel College was established in 1867. The private four-year liberal arts college has a 150-year-old campus in the city of Westminster in northern Maryland. It has 3,000 students in the US and 100 at its Budapest campus, Szijjártó noted.

The minister also met Maryland’s secretary of education and deputy secretary of commerce. Maryland is Hungary’s sixth largest export partner within the US, Szijjártó said, noting that annual trade turnover between the two states exceeds 250 million US dollars.

Photo: MTI

Socialists call for special session of parliament to amend higher education law

The opposition Socialist Party on Thursday said it will initiate a special session of parliament to amend Hungary’s higher education law after the European Commission stepped up an infringement procedure against Hungary over earlier amendments to the law.

Socialist MEP István Ujhelyi told a press conference that if the Hungarian parliament and government fail to address the EC’s concerns over the law within the next month, the case could go to the European Court of Justice, which could leave Hungary with a hefty fine.

The Socialists are therefore calling for parliament to hold an extraordinary session within the next four weeks to amend the higher education law, he said.

In its response, ruling Fidesz said that there was a “deceptive campaign assisted by the Socialists and Brussels” around the higher education law. Fidesz insisted that all foreign universities and countries affected by the law were cooperative and were ready to negotiate, with the exception of the “Soros university” (CEU). “No university is above the law,” the party added.

Hungary amended its higher education law to tighten rules governing the operations of foreign universities in the country in April.

European Commission steps up infringement procedure over higher education law against Hungary

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The European Commission on Thursday said it stepped up an infringement procedure against Hungary over amendments to its higher education law tightening rules governing the operations of foreign universities in the country.

The EC said it has sent the Hungarian government a reasoned opinion — the second step in an infringement procedure — on the issue.

Hungary now has one month to amend the law in question so that it complies with EU rules.

The EC launched the infringement procedure at the end of April, shortly after parliament passed the amendments.

Critics of the law have said it puts the operations of Budapest’s Central European University under threat.

If Hungary fails to address the EC’s concerns, the executive body could take the matter to the European Court of Justice.

As we wrote today, the EC has launched an infringement procedure against Hungary over the law on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs.

Kúria turns down DK appeal concerning higher education law and okays rejection of LMP’s Paks referendum

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Hungary’s supreme court, the Kúria, on Tuesday turned down an appeal by the leftist opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) against the National Election Committee’s (NVB) decision to reject the party’s referendum initiative in connection with the higher education law affecting the Central European University (CEU).

DK’s referendum question, submitted on April 5 and rejected by the NVB later in April, said: “Do you agree that a higher education institution recognised by a state party to the agreement of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) should continue to undertake educational activity towards foreign degrees based on their registration in Hungary?”

In its Tuesday ruling, the Kúria said that DK’s appeal was “unfounded”, while DK’s referendum question was not clear enough.

The ruling cannot be appealed.

Kúria okays rejection of LMP’s Paks referendum

The Kúria, Hungary’s supreme court, on Tuesday upheld a decision by the National Election Committee, under which the opposition LMP party cannot initiate a referendum concerning the upgrade of the Paks nuclear plant.

The Kúria referred to the constitution and said in its binding decision that questions affecting international agreements cannot be put to a plebiscite.

Through its referendum initiative, LMP sought public support to thwarting the Paks project unless at least one third of Hungary’s energy production, including the planned two new blocks at Paks, would be ensured through using renewable energies.

Socialists vow to repeal contested higher education law

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László Botka, the prime minister candidate of the opposition Socialist Party, has promised to repeal an amendment to Hungary’s higher education law, whose critics say could result in the closure of Budapest’s Central European University, if his party triumphs in next year’s general election.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of a two-day visit to Brussels on Thursday, Botka said that if the Socialists win in 2018, they would also “end the stigmatisation” of civil groups.

The Hungarian government has submitted a bill to parliament which would require non-government organisations receiving more than 7.2 million forints (EUR 23,400) from foreign donors to register as foreign-backed groups.

Botka said that in his talks with European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans he had made it clear that the Socialist Party and Hungary’s “democratic opposition” parties were interested in “the restoration” of the democratic rule of law in the country. He said he had emphasised that it was Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, not Hungary, whom the EU should punish.

Botka also said that if the bloc were forced to split into a “two-speed Europe”, the one to blame would “undoubtedly” be Orbán.

He said he had also stressed in his talks with EU officials that more than two-thirds of Hungarians were committed to European values, European cooperation and the EU in general.

The prime minister candidate said he intended to take on an active role in reshaping the EU, arguing that the bloc needed to become fairer and more effective.

Recent challenges such as the migration crisis have shown that the EU can encounter threats that cannot be managed using “the old methods”, Botka said. He said that the EU’s delayed responses to its challenges had allowed for the rise of populism, adding that this was most noticeable in Hungary.

Botka criticised the scale of injustice within the bloc and among member states, naming wage inequality as an example.

He said there was evidence of a serious demand for the introduction of a new common European policy, for social rights meant to protect workers and for reducing wage inequality within the bloc.

CEU to stay in Budapest for 2017-2018 academic year

Budapest, May 30 (MTI) – The Central European University will carry out all its activities in Budapest in the 2017-2018 academic year, the university’s president-rector said on Tuesday.

Michael Ignatieff told a press conference that the CEU welcomes the start of talks between Hungary’s government and New York State. He added that prime ministerial commissioner Kristof Altusz had reportedly contacted New York State officials over the phone last Friday.

“We will not close. Budapest is our home,” Ignatieff said.

He expressed hope that a long-term agreement would be signed as soon as possible, enabling the CEU to stay in Budapest.

“The ball is in the government’s court,” he said, adding that the university was waiting for the government to begin “constructive talks” with New York.

Ignatieff also said the university had not experienced a drop in applications for the next academic year, adding, at the same time, that the university’s situation would have to be resolved quickly in order for student admissions to run smoothly. Under the amended higher education act, the university would not be able to recruit students in its current form as it has in the past, he added.

Answering a journalist question, Ignatieff said that the university was now in a stronger position than it had been when parliament amended the higher education act early last month, which he attributed to the “resistance” he said the CEU had mounted against the legislation since then. He said the CEU was not only fighting for its own freedom, but also for those of all universities in Hungary.

He said it would be a mistake to think that by putting off talks or by further tightening education regulations the government could convince the CEU to leave Budapest.

Photo: MTI

Ignatieff announced that the university will organise an international conference on academic freedom on June 22. The main speaker at the event will be Nobel laureate author Mario Vargas Llosa.

Deputy rector in charge of Hungarian issues Zsolt Enyedi said the events of recent weeks had convinced them even more that they had responsibilities for Budapest and Hungary.

“We must stay as long as possible,” he said.

Enyedi said the CEU had received “extraordinary” help from society, representatives of Hungarian and international higher education institutions and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

He said the university had asked the government to define the exact educational activities it is “supposed to be undertaking” in the state of New York under the amended higher education act, but had not been given a clear answer.

Photo: MTI

Goverment weekly press briefing about Europe’s security, higher-ed law and many other topics

Budapest (MTI) – Europe’s current security situation is worse than ever, the government office chief said on Thursday. Parliament’s national security committee has approved the concept for developing Hungary’s armed forces, János Lázár said.

Europe’s security worse than ever

“The balmy days of peace are over; terrorism could pose a threat to everyday life in any European country,” János Lázár told a weekly press briefing.

The Manchester attack has opened a new chapter in the history of terrorist acts in Europe; this is the first time that children were targeted, he said.

Hungary does not need to raise its terrorism alert to a higher level but will take steps to beef up security at major events, he said.

All EU member states must be able to defend their borders, he said. Given the current security situation, it would be inadmissible to allow anyone into Europe without verification, Lázár added.

Europe’s borders should be controlled more tightly and, in certain cases, even their closure might be warranted, he said.

Answering a question concerning the current NATO summit in Brussels attended by US President Donald Trump, Lázár said no bilateral meeting was scheduled between Trump and Orbán.

Concerning migration, Lázár said he expected increased pressure on Hungary “to accommodate a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand refugees”.

But “if the gates are open” the consequences could be unpredictable, he added. Migration is a risk factor for European security, and the greatest risk of terrorism is “uncontrolled, unlimited migration”, he said.

The Hungarian government insists on keeping the country’s borders closed, applying the strictest checks on new arrivals and not allowing free movement in Hungary, Lázár said. There are currently some 300 asylum seekers waiting in the transit zone, he said, adding that the migration pressure on Hungary’s borders had eased.

Parliament’s nat security cttee approves armed forces development concept

Lázár told a weekly press briefing that the aim is to boost spending on the country’s defence from 1 percent of GDP to 2 percent by the early 2020s. He added that spending was likely to increase from 400 billion forints (EUR 1.3bn) to 1,000 billion by 2020.

The headcount will be increased and technical developments will be implemented accordingly. The development of new capabilities will start this year, he added.

EC has not brought forward any argument warranting change to higher-ed law

The government office chief has said the European Commission has not brought up any argument that would warrant making changes to Hungary’s amendment to the law on higher education.

Lázár told that Hungary must reply to the commission’s questions by today in connection with the EU’s related infringement procedure against Hungary.

So far the commission has failed to bring forward any “normal, serious legal arguments”, and it has only brought forth “arguments based on political hysteria”, he said.

Whereas there’s “a lot of froth being whipped up” around the issue of the Central European University, various countries have shown a willingness to negotiate with the Hungarian government, Lázár said, citing the instances of “China and the US-based McDaniel University”. Concerning the latter, he said that the leadership of the university had negotiated with the Hungarian government, and both they and the institution’s base, the State of Maryland, were ready to strike an agreement with the government.

Lázár said that he saw no obstacle to holding talks with the governor of New York State. He added that the government was also in contact with the US government.

Government plans to boost family subsidies to 5 pc / GDP by 2020

The government aims to boost family support from 4.6 percent of GDP to 5 percent in the next two years, the government office chief said on Thursday.

Lázár told that the goal was to ensure that by 2030 people who want to have children should be thinking in terms of raising more than two children.

He noted that if current trends persist, then the working-age population will shrink significantly within the foreseeable future. The aim, therefore, is to increase the number of newborn children by more than 30,000. Every young couple who wants to undertake parenthood will receive support from the state, he added.

The government has announced plans to boost the country’s birth rate by implementing measures such as mortgage reductions for families with three or more children and subsidies for nurseries. The overall aim is to increase the number of children born per woman from 1.5 now to 2.1 by 2030.

Photo: MTI

New York State governor ready for talks with Hungary on CEU

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Washington, DC, May 24 (MTI) – Andrew Cuomo, the governor of the State of New York, on Wednesday said he is ready for talks with the Hungarian government on the Central European University (CEU).

“An agreement to keep CEU in Budapest as a free institution is in everyone’s best interests, and I stand ready to enter into discussions with the Hungarian Government to continue the New York State-Government of Hungary relationship and ensure that the institution remains a treasured resource for students around the world,” the governor said in a statement.

Parliament last month approved amendments to the higher education act that require foreign colleges and universities in Hungary to operate on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement and to have a campus in the country in which they are based.

The CEU, which is chartered by the State of New York but has just one campus, in Budapest, earlier said the amendments would make its continued operation in Budapest “impossible”.

“The Government of Hungary has stated publicly that it can only discuss the future of CEU in Hungary with relevant US authorities, which in this case is the State of New York. The Governor welcomes the opportunity to resolve this matter and to initiate discussions with the Hungarian government without delay,” Cuomo’s statement said.

The amendments to the higher education act stipulate that in instances in which the central government of a federal state is not authorised to recognise the binding effect of an international agreement, such an agreement will be made on the basis of a preliminary agreement with said government.

In a statement issued on Tuesday the US State Department said that it had “no authority or intention to enter into negotiations on the operation of Central European University or other universities in Hungary”, and urged Hungary to suspend implementation of its amended higher education law.

LMP, Socialists call on Orbán’s cabinet to stop ‘lying’ about CEU

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Budapest, May 24 (MTI) – The opposition LMP and Socialist parties on Wednesday called on the government to stop “lying” about the Central European University in light of the recent position stated by the US government on the CEU.

The US State Department said on Tuesday that it had “no authority or intention to enter into negotiations on the operation of Central European University or other universities in Hungary”, and urged Hungary to suspend implementation of its amended higher education law.

The CEU, founded by US financier George Soros, said the new legislation would make its continued operation in Budapest impossible.

Bernadett Szél, the co-leader of LMP, said it had become clear from the State Department’s standpoint that the Hungarian government would be unable to fulfil requirements set by the law.

“It is time to stop the false propaganda and misleading the public,” Szel said in a statement. She called for the law’s withdrawal, saying this would be the only acceptable measure in response to the infringement procedure notification sent to the government by the European Commission.

The Socialists blamed the government for “lying and deceiving both the United States and the Hungarian public”.

The government has not made any contact at all with the State of New York where CEU is registered, lawmaker Ágnes Kunhalmi told a press conference.

“The ball now is in the government’s court since neither the US, nor the State of New York or the CEU can take any further action,” she said.

Photo: ceu.edu

State Department: US government ‘has no authority or intention’ to negotiate on CEU

Washington, DC, May 23 (MTI) – The US government “has no authority or intention to enter into negotiations on the operation of Central European University or other universities in Hungary”, the State Department said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“The United States again urges the Government of Hungary to suspend implementation of its amended higher education law, which places discriminatory, onerous requirements on U.S.-accredited institutions in Hungary and threatens academic freedom and independence,” the statement by Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman, said.

It urges the Hungarian government “to engage directly” with affected institutions to find a resolution that allows them to continue to function freely and provide greater educational opportunity for the citizens of Hungary and the region.

The statement was issued in connection with Hungary’s package of amendments to the higher education law parliament passed last month. The law stipulates that foreign universities operating in Hungary must also pursue educational activities in their country of origin and an intergovernmental contract should be signed to regulate their operations.

The Central European University, founded by US financier George Soros, said the new legislation would make its continued operation in Budapest impossible.

UPDATE

The Hungarian government has an interest in reaching an agreement on the Central European University, the press chief of Hungary’s foreign ministry said in response to the US statement.

It is particularly regrettable that the US federal government provides no support for this endeavour, Tamás Menczer said, noting that there had been three Hungarian-US educational agreements concluded by the two governments in previous decades.

He said that Hungary’s chief negotiator appointed by the prime minister had been waiting to receive an official US response to a proposed schedule for talks for more than three weeks.

“A press release is far from being an official diplomatic response,” he said.

Menczer said that academic freedom and the independence of universities is not threatened by anyone in Hungary. The recently passed amendment to the higher education law is not discriminative, with no concern raised by the affected Chinese, Malaysian or Thai universities or the ambassadors of the three countries, he said.

The press chief said that two of the three affected US-registered universities showed willingness to cooperate in finding a solution.

Orbán’s cabinet awaiting US response concerning CEU

Budapest, May 22 (MTI) – The government is waiting for a response from the US administration concerning talks on Budapest’s Central European University, the foreign minister said on Monday.

So far, the US side has not named their negotiator, Péter Szijjártó told a press conference.

The Hungarian government has contacted the governments of China, Malaysia, Thailand and the US, concerning issues around foreign universities in Hungary. “The process of the negotiations was made clear; three countries understood, while the embassy of the fourth country would not understand or has not responded for political reasons,” Szijjártó said.

The Hungarian government expects its US counterpart to appoint a negotiator, Szijjártó said, and dismissed the earlier US position that the matter was not to be discussed at government level. He argued that the Hungarian and US governments had signed three education accords in recent decades.

Anti-government groups stage protest in Budapest

Budapest, May 21 (MTI) – Anti-government civil groups held a protest under the motto “We won’t let go of our future; we’re here to stay!” in central Budapest on Sunday afternoon.

Protesters organised by the Nem maradunk csendben (We won’t keep silent) and the Oktatasi Szabadsagot (Free education) Facebook groups gathered in front of the Technical University on the Buda side of the city and walked across to the Pest side, marching on to the square in front of Parliament.

Henriett Dinok, head of the Romaversitas Foundation, told participants at the university that “it is not Brussels that should be stopped but our parasitic oligarchs”.

Katalin Lukácsi, a former MP of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, noted she had recently quit parliament citing the way in which the government handled refugees, and in protest against the “extermination” of leftist-leaning daily Népszabadság, as well as Hungary’s recent law “aimed against” the Central European University in Budapest.

Photo: Balázs Mohai/MTI

UPDATE

In reaction to the protest, ruling Fidesz said in a statement that “the network of [US billionaire George] Soros is using all available means to put Hungary’s immigration policy under pressure”. The statement said that recent protests in Hungary had been staged by “organisations financed by Soros”.

“It is obvious that pressure on Hungary is mounting, but the ruling party and the government will not change its immigration policy,” Fidesz said in its statement.

Photo: MTI

Recent demonstrations in Hungary have been organised by “agents” of US billionaire George Soros, the group leader of ruling Fidesz told public news television M1 on Monday morning.

“Organisations and activists financed by Soros stage these protests,” Kósa insisted.

“Soros has long maintained that Europe should receive several million migrants each year and should take out loans amounting to 100 billion euros; from him, naturally, because that is good business,” Kósa argued. Soros is against all governments working to stop migration, he said, and suggested it was why he keeps “attacking” the Hungarian government.

Kósa also insisted that “Hungary is a democratic country with a freedom of speech and assembly, and anyone can stage a demonstration… even if they do so for an unreasonable cause”.

Photo: MTI

Foreign ministry sees opportunity for Hungary-US agreement on CEU

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Budapest, May 19 (MTI) – Hungary could negotiate an agreement with the US administration concerning Budapest’s Central European University, the press chief of the Hungarian foreign ministry said on Friday.

Tamás Menczer argued that there were three such agreements in effect between the two countries, and voiced incomprehension at the US position that the federal government had no authority over education cooperation accords. The press chief added that the Hungarian government was waiting for its US counterpart to name a chief negotiator in the CEU case.

Earlier in the day, the portal PestiSracok.hu reported that Hungary had signed intergovernmental agreements on higher education cooperation in 1977, 1998, and in 2007. The portal dismissed a position held by CEU and US diplomats in Budapest that “no intergovernmental agreement is possible on higher education”.

In April, Hungary’s parliament passed a package of amendments to the higher education law that the CEU, founded by US financier George Soros, has said would make its continued operation in Budapest impossible.

The law stipulates that foreign universities operating in Hungary must also pursue educational activities in their country of origin and an intergovernmental contract should be signed to regulate their operations.

Hungary ready to undergo EP assessment, says government office chief

Kiszombor (MTI) – The new law on higher education meets European norms, therefore Hungary is ready to undergo all assessments, government office chief János Lázár said on Wednesday in response to the European Parliament vote to propose invoking Article 7 against Hungary.

Lázár said after a public forum in Kiszombor in southern Hungary that the draft resolution proposing Article 7 represented a “threat and an attempt to pressurise” Hungary.

It will be the umpteenth assessment by the EP about Hungary so “there is nothing new about it”, he said.

He added that he believed all universities operating in Hungary should be affected by equal regulations, including US financier George Soros’s Central European University. Soros has a strong lobby in Brussels and he has “huge influence on the left wing,” Lázár said. Hungary will not yield to pressure, he added.

He told the public forum that the EP passed judgement on Hungary “in a way that suits George Soros’ taste” because Hungary wants to withdraw the privileges of the Soros university. Those that voted for the stricter resolution voted against Hungary and “we cannot accept that”, he said.

The EP’s resolution calls on the Hungarian government to suspend the deadlines included in the new higher education bill and undertake the obligation that the CEU can stay in Budapest as a free institution.

Economic growth, stable community remain EC priorities, says EC commissioner Navracsics

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Budapest, May 8 (MTI) – Securing economic growth and promoting a stable, peaceful European community will remain in the focus of the European Commission’s efforts during the remainder of its mandate, the European commissioner for education, culture youth and sport said on Monday.

Tibor Navracsics told parliament’s European affairs committee that the European Union is experiencing one of the hardest periods of its history. In addition to the still alarming conditions of the Greek budget and domestic affairs, the EU is also facing a migration crisis and the Brexit talks. These historic events make it difficult for the commission to keep up with its original programme, Navracsics said. The two main goals that the EC declared at the beginning of its mandate were gradual economic improvements and proximity, he added.

Economic growth will remain one of the most important issues in the remaining period, he said. European economies now progress on the right path and the EU has used its own resources to recover from the crisis and remain a crucial player in the world economy, he said.

Deputy head of the committee Tibor Bana, of the opposition Jobbik party, asked the commissioner about the Central European University (CEU).

Navracsics said that under the best-case scenario all problems would be clarified and resolved through a dialogue between the Hungarian government and the EC. However, if they fail to strike a compromise, then the EC may turn to the European Court of Justice, he added.

The CEU is an important institution of Hungary’s higher education which must be valued and preserved, he said. All efforts must be made to enable it to continue its operation under the new conditions, he added, noting that he had repeatedly offered to mediate in the negotiations.

The Hungarian parliament approved an amendment to the higher education act to regulate the operation of foreign universities in Hungary in early April. The amendment is widely seen as an attack on the CEU, founded by American financier George Soros in 1991. The amendment sparked protests both in Hungary and abroad.

Hungary summons Canadian ambassador over remarks on higher education law

Budapest, May 5 (MTI) – Hungary’s foreign ministry has summoned the Canadian ambassador over a statement she issued in connection with recent legislation tightening regulations on foreign universities in Hungary and its perceived impact on Budapest’s Central European University (CEU).

The ministry quoted Ambassador Isabelle Poupart as saying in the statement published on the Canadian government’s website on Thursday that Canada’s government is “seriously concerned” about the impact the amendment would have on academic freedom in Hungary. She urged Hungary to change the law as soon as possible, just as Hungarian leaders made a “commitment” to do so on Saturday.

The ministry called the ambassador’s comments “untrue”, saying that academic freedom was “not under threat from anybody” in Hungary.

“Academic freedom is a right the Hungarian government has always stood up for and will continue to protect in the future too,” the ministry said.

It added, at the same time, that foreign universities must be expected to adhere to the same rules as Hungarian ones. “The Hungarian higher education law does not just apply to [US financier] George Soros’s school, the CEU, but to all 28 foreign universities” operating in Hungary, the statement said.

The ministry said that “not even Brussels has questioned” Hungarian academic freedom, adding that “the infringement procedure launched against Hungary on the matter is about the supposed violation of the free flow of services.” This is something the Hungarian government is of course open to discussing, the statement added.

Hungary’s foreign minister: US negotiator decisive for deal on universities

Budapest, May 3 (MTI) – The appointment of a US negotiator will be decisive in demonstrating the openness and goodwill for a US-Hungarian intergovernmental agreement on higher education, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday.

In order to reach an agreement, the negotiator must have a proper mandate from their government, Szijjártó told a press conference ahead of a summit of the Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists.

The minister said he saw no reason why such a deal could not be struck. If the governments of Malaysia, Thailand and China are able to sign a deal with the Hungarian government on universities operating in Hungary, then it is unlikely that the US government would not be ready to sign the relevant deals in respect of the “excellent US universities”, he added.

Three US universities operate in Hungary and they are “quite serious institutions” for an intergovernmental agreement to be signed on their operational conditions, Szijjártó said.

The deputy state secretary appointed for the talks by Hungary has already consulted all four non-European Union embassies representing countries from where universities operate in Hungary.

Further, neither the Thai, the Malaysian nor Chinese embassies have seen any obstacles to meeting the necessary conditions, and they are now asking the necessary mandates from their capitals, Szijjártó added.

Jobbik: Orbán government kneels before Brussels

Viktor Orbán backed down in Brussels. As it is announced by cabinet chief Antal Rogán, Hungary is willing to take in migrants between the ages of 14-18, as long as they undergo a DNA test. In response to the news, Jobbik held an extraordinary press conference.

The largest opposition party called upon the Prime Minister to explain this “high treason” in the next session of the Parliament on Tuesday.

Jobbik’s vice president Dániel Z. Kárpát announced that Jobbik was going to re-submit the party’s Constitutional bill that would exclude any form of settling migrants in Hungary. This is the bill that was turned down by Fidesz-Christian Democrats a while ago because it contained Jobbik’s proposal to ban the sales of residency bonds, saying that “neither poor, nor rich migrants” should be allowed to come to Hungary.

“High treason and patriotic mentality must be separated”

Jobbik finds it astounding that the past two years’ consultations, outdoor media campaigns and even the referendum “were all built on lies”, and when “the foreign client decides otherwise”, the Hungarian government “kneels before them and abandons the national interest”, thus betraying the three million voters of last year’s referendum.

Mr Z. Kárpát added that Fidesz, who had never been shy to call other parties traitors, was always ready to allow migrants in Hungary, first for money and eventually for free as well. Contrary to that, Jobbik would not bring anyone here because “Hungary belongs to Hungarians.”