Let the other side be heard too!

This morning Hungarian rectors, researchers and students gave their opinion on the European Commission’s discriminatory exclusion of model universities from the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes at a public hearing in the European Parliament.

Fidesz MEP Andrea Bocskor said that “it is important to talk about this issue, especially because Hungarian higher education institutions have achieved outstanding results since the model changeover; they have become a catalyst for innovation and their ranking is improving internationally. Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe are the flagship programmes of the European Union, with hundreds of thousands of Hungarian students and teachers having participated in them over the last 30 years, and there has never been a problem with their accountability or the use of EU funding. Therefore, this blatantly unfair and politically motivated issue is one that we must discuss”, the MEP added.

MEP Kinga Gál, President of the Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament, pointed out that “the aim of the Fidesz EP delegation during the series of unfair attacks on our country in recent years was clear: to provide credible, fact-based, first-hand information on the issues involved. Today, we are doing no different. It is a legitimate expectation that serious, discriminatory and ungrounded decisions that exclude two-thirds of Hungarian universities, including some 180,000 students from the Erasmus and Horizon programmes, should be based on facts. The opinions of these institutions have not even been taken into account. That is why we have invited the rectors and researchers of the universities concerned, as well as representatives of Hungarian students, to inform EU decision-makers first-hand about the situation. It is unacceptable for the innocent academic world to be punished by the Brussels position that blackmails the Hungarian government for its pro-peace, anti-migration and anti-gender stance”.

Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, stressed in his lecture that “if politicians argue with each other, that is their business, but this cannot be an excuse to punish medical and healthcare students who are preparing for their profession or wish to practice it”. He added that the rights and obligations involved have not changed with the change of maintainer. At the same time, the change of model at Semmelweis University has been accompanied by a more competitive wage structure for employees, the university ownership of our clinics and educational buildings, and an increase in autonomy for teaching, research and medicine. The Rector also said that he would like to see the end to the possibility of imposing sanctions on a higher education institution without an analysis of how and when it has violated the rule of law and the damage it has caused to the Union. We would also like universities to be involved in consultations on the measures that affect them.

Prof. Dr Levente Kovács, Rector of Óbuda University, underlined that the autonomy of their university was not violated by the change of model, contrary to the accusations, as is clearly shown by the positive results in teaching and research work and in the comparison between universities, which are visible within a short period of time. “We stand with all European universities today in pointing out that education is one of the pillars of the Union and must not be dismantled under any circumstances”, he added.

Dr Gyula Kasza, researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest, stressed that the EU research programmes have opened the door to Europe for Hungarian researchers, who contribute to the scientific life of the EU with outstanding results and active participation. However, the negative effects of the Council’s decision on the Commission’s proposal are already being felt: “We are experiencing serious damage to the reputation of our university and our research group, we are suffering financial and moral losses, which is ruining more than ten years of hard work.” He said he hoped that the completely unfounded decision would be withdrawn as soon as possible.
Students have raised concerns that their exclusion from Erasmus programmes puts them at an unfair disadvantage compared to their peers studying in other EU countries. They expressed the hope that the situation would be resolved soon and that they will be able to participate in the European mobility programmes.