Hungarian Conservative

While Hungarian MEPs from liberal opposition parties have supported the Erasmus ban penalizing their fellow Hungarians, Fidesz MEP Andrea Bocskor is fighting hard to get students and teachers back into the programme and thus help their academic careers.

Led by Hungarian MEPs Katalin Cseh and Anna Donáth, the left-wing majority in the European Parliament persisted in depriving Hungarian students and researchers of the benefits of Erasmus+. In a statement issued after the EP vote, Fidesz MEPs described the actions of the far-left Momentum MEPs as disgraceful.

Currently, there is ongoing correspondence between the government and the European Commission regarding the remaining contentious issues related to the frozen EU funds. The dialogue is a follow-up of Minister for Regional Development Tibor Navracsics and Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka’s talks in Brussels in early September on the release of EU funds and the resolution of the Erasmus dispute.

Iliana Ivanova remarked on the unfortunate situation where young people are missing out on opportunities, emphasizing, however, that ‘rules are rules and must be adhered to.’

Some thoughts on why the EU-Commission should not take students hostage. And why Hungary maybe isn’t as bad as they want us believe.

‘What does the European Commission have to do with Hungarian education? In short, nothing. Education matters, both in terms of content and in terms of structure, are the responsibility of the Member States.’

Minister Navracsics warned in his letter that by cutting the Erasmus funding, the European Commission is violating Article 13 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

In this year’s first call for applications, the European Union is giving out 35,500 free passes, with an initial quota of 779 passes for young Hungarians aged 18.

During the programme, participants will be supported with monthly scholarships ranging from 350,000 to 500,000 forints, allowing approximately 8,000 students, educators, and researchers to gain international experience at the world’s leading universities.

‘I was outraged to learn that the Erasmus opportunity is being denied to Hungarian students and researchers. As a former Erasmus student, this particularly upsets me. In the meantime, it turns out that the EU has awarded funds of almost two million euros to the Islamic University of Gaza, which is connected to the terrorist organization Hamas. This is absolutely insane,’ philosopher and political scientist Leonardo Orlando told Hungarian Conservative.

In a recent interview, Minister of Culture János Csák quoted iconic interwar education minister Kuno Klebelsberg, who identified the task of governments as supporting high culture, creating Hungarian great achievements, showcasing them internationally, bringing international great achievements here, but most importantly, taking culture to the broadest sections of the nation. This task can be achieved not through separate entities but through one robust institution, the minister argued.

A brief review of the European policy of the Hungarian Government and of that of the domestic opposition.

Debates about Hungary consistently bring to the forefront the Hungarophobic positions and opinions of the Left in the European Parliament. In the current session, left-wing MEPs targeted not only Viktor Orbán but also Ursula von der Leyen.

According to the study, 15 per cent of young Hungarians frequently experience feelings of isolation, which is of concern as chronic loneliness not only has psychological ramifications but, in certain cases, also entails physical consequences. The report highlights that 41 per cent of young people in the Western Transdanubia region and 38 per cent of their counterparts in the southern Transdanubia region claim to feel lonely always or often.

Emmanuel Macron will preside over the national tribute ceremony for Jacques Delors at the courtyard of the Invalides Cathedral in Paris on Friday morning.

Most universities grant additional points to applicants for language exams, advanced level exams, sports achievements, and results in academic competitions. However, in the new system, institutions are now able to award extra points for other achievements like work experience, prior qualifications, volunteer work, or the completion of preparatory courses, based on their individual decisions.

The state secretary articulated the vital goal that the number of university graduates among the Hungarian diaspora should exceed their representation within their respective countries, with universities becoming cultural hubs for Hungarian communities abroad. He called the opening of the Márton Áron College’s renovated building a defining moment in infrastructure development.

State Secretary Balázs Hankó discussed recent efforts to strengthen international relationships, prepare for university collaborations, and launch successful applications for international funding in higher education, citing Hungarian Nobel laureates serve as outstanding examples.

In his introduction, Hölvényi emphasized that in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and wars have weakened people’s faith and religiosity. Rebuilding and strengthening faith will take many years of work, but change must always start from within, he noted.

At the academic year opening of Milton Friedman University, State Secretary in charge of higher education Balázs Hankó underscored that Hungarian universities are performing increasingly well amidst intensifying international competition. While four years ago, Hungary had seven institutions in the top five per cent of the world’s universities, and two years ago, there were nine, today there are already eleven.

According to the survey, conducted both during peak and off-peak hours, 93 per cent of passengers automatically validate their passes upon boarding, indicating that most are well-informed about the use of the new system. Passengers who did not validate their passes were, in the vast majority of cases, reminded by the bus drivers to do so.

The high attendance rates of the plays and the frequent standing ovations confirmed the State Opera House’s expectations that it is worthwhile to stage popular pieces from the operatic literature in classic performances with an air-conditioned auditorium in the summer. The July–August performances of the the first full summer season of the Opera were favoured by both tourists and locals from the capital city and the countryside.

The research indicates that as age increases, the proportion of those considering the likelihood of owning their own property, being married, and living in Hungary also increases. Conversely, in terms of working in a foreign language environment, having a better financial situation than currently, and having children, the relationship with age is reversed.

Since its inception, the left has seen the school as an important means of ‘enlightening’ people and creating a new world. The anti-school, anti-knowledge, and anti-teacher sentiments of former Chairman of the Communist Party of China Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution and of its Western importers, the ‘68ers have spread everywhere before our eyes over the last two decades.

MEP Rob Roos and political pundit Eva Vlaardingerbroek, both from the Netherlands, took to Twitter to defend Hungary and advocate for its upcoming EU Council presidency.

Speaking at the EU-PED Day of the university, on which all educators working in Hungarian-language tertiary education are celebrated, Mihály Varga reminded that the goal of the government with the transformation of higher education and the introduction of dual education was for universities to become ‘intellectual centres that define and broaden the country’s development opportunities.’

At his recent hearing in the EP, the Budget Commissioner stated that it is not true that the Commission is hindering negotiations with the Hungarian government over the rule of law concerns. The Commission is interested in finding a solution, but it must be a solution that serves the interests of Hungarian citizens, Hahn said.

According to the minister, representatives presented the delegation with the regulations and fundamental aspects of the spending of EU funds, followed by questions from the committee members. However, Navracsics noted that it was apparent the delegation had not read the background materials sent to them in advance for more detailed information. Also, in some cases, the opinion of certain representatives was heavily influenced by political biases, resulting in occasional factual errors during their questioning.

Corvinus University of Budapest is the only institution in Hungary to have been awarded the international BSIS certification for its contribution to local and regional socio-economic development.

After reviewing the energy situation at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the government determined that all necessary resources are at its disposal to keep in place the utility cost reduction programme for households with average energy consumption.