At a government press briefing, Gergely Gulyás called it “unacceptable” that universities run by foundations would become ineligible for funding as part of the EU’s Erasmus programme, under which students from Hungary can study abroad. He said there were numerous examples of universities in western Europe that had active politicians sitting on their boards of trustees. He said the matter was also “outrageous” because when Hungary reached an agreement with the European Commission, the government had followed the executive body’s rules on conflicts of interest. Hungary would have been open to adopting even stricter rules, but Brussels did not require it, he added.
Gulyás said the EC had not put forward clear requirements regarding higher education institutions. He said Tibor Navracsics, the regional development minister, will consult with the EU on the matter. The government hopes “that this is just a misunderstanding and the matter can be resolved quickly”, he added. If no agreement is reached, Hungary will cover the costs of next year’s Erasmus grants, Gulyás said.