Hungarian government: Amended law not aimed at curbing education freedoms

Budapest, April 6 (MTI) – Hungary’s recently amended higher education law does not restrict freedoms in education and research or the autonomy of universities, government office chief János Lázár told a weekly news briefing on Thursday.

The government aims to create equal opportunities in education and clear rules on competition, and to eliminate drawbacks for Hungarian universities, Lazar said.

The government is “ready to respond to Brussels, Washington and Berlin”. Financier “[George] Soros and his network” has put those capitals under “serious pressure”, Lázár insisted, adding that “Hungary is being lobbied against”.

“We will protect the country from those groupings,” he said.

The law is based on an assessment of the activities of foreign universities in Hungary, Lázár said. Other states use their sovereign right to regulate the founding and operation of foreign universities, he said, adding that the issue in Hungary was surrounded by political hysteria.

Laws parliament approves apply to everyone and this fact seems to have got lost on some, he said. The new regulations stipulate that universities should guarantee a level playing field and all foreign universities operating in Hungary should pursue higher education activities recognised in their country of origin, too. Additionally, they should operate based on an international agreement signed between Hungary and the country of origin. The CEU, he insisted, would be able to meet these conditions, adding that the regulations are not discriminatory but are about transparency.

Lázár said he wondered why the CEU would want to question the applicability and legitimacy of the law instead of meeting the conditions set down therein. It is in the interest of “certain groups” to generate tension instead of resolving the situation, he added.

Calmness is needed on the issue but “the Soros network will be probably pushing its own agenda”, Lázár said.

The law now needs to be explained, which is something that Hungary has gained great experience in over the past few years, he said.

In general, preparations are under way to force European Union migrant quotas on Hungary. Once the law on the transparency of NGOs is enacted, more questions will be raised and threats made. “Essentially it’s all about the quotas,” and the issue of CEU is being channelled into this dispute, Lazar insisted.