On Wednesday 12 April, the College of Commissioners will for the first time debate the Hungarian law providing for strict rules on the establishment of foreign universities in the country, in the - almost openly stated - aim of blacklisting the highly reputed Central European University (CEU), financed by the American billionaire George Soros.
“I don't like this decision”, was the reaction of the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, on Thursday 6 April, when asked about this law modifying higher education that was approved by the Hungarian parliament two days earlier. It requires universities established outside the EU to sign an international agreement to be able to offer courses in Hungary.
In particular, the College of Commissioners will consider whether this law breaches EU rules and the common values, for instance on the “safeguarding of education”, Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas said in a statement published on Wednesday.
His statement also includes more specific criticism of this initiative of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban: the law risks “restricting scientific and academic freedom” and is a dangerous precedent for the autonomy of educational establishments in Hungary, to say nothing of damaging “Hungary's academic reputation and relationship with its EU partners”.
Equally virulent criticism has come in from the academic world and the Socialist and ALDE groups at the European Parliament. The President of the EPP group, Manfred Weber (Germany), to which Orban's party (Fidesz) is affiliated, called on the Commission to carry out an objective assessment of the situation.
At the same time, he preventatively called upon Orban to comply with whatever the College decides and stressed that his group would “defend the freedom of thinking, research and speech, (which) are essential for our European identity, at any cost”. (Original version in French by Jan Kordys)