Balazs Hanko: Brussels Wants to Interfere in Issues of Education

The Pannonia Scholarship Program is not an alternative to Erasmus, but something better, the minister said.

Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation Balazs Hanko (Photo: Arpad Kurucz) Fotó: Kurucz Árpád

Culture and Innovation Minister Balazs Hanko has defined his ministry as the ministry for everyday patriotism, setting a yardstick for all their measures. Balazs Hanko, who has been heading the culture and innovation ministry since June, told a panel discussion called Christian Democratic Evening that while Hungarian youth had been pushed out of the European Erasmus and Horizon programs, Hungary's government launched the Pannonia Program, which is not a substitute, not an alternative, but something better. He highlighted that the government reformed Hungarian higher education at the initiative of the universities, pointing out that higher education is a member state competency, and the EU has nothing to do with it.

They are trying to blackmail us through our children,

he said.

Brussels wants to determine the composition of bodies that run Hungarian universities, he said, noting that they want to interfere in matters of education, even though these are issues of sovereignty. Speaking highly of the recently launched Pannonia Program, he said the scholarship scheme offered wider options than Erasmus and was planned to provide opportunities for more Hungarian students. We designed something better without compromising on our sovereignty, he stressed.

Balazs Hanko said that the draft legislation sent to the European Commission in November 2023 will be submitted to parliament, which will probably excite the Hungarophobia of [EPP leader] Manfred Weber and [EC president] Ursula von der Leyen.

This draft legislation will partly address conflicts of interest of university board members,

he said.

The minister recalled that according to Brussels, Hungarian MPs cannot sit on university boards, while there is no such conflict of interest in the case of MEPs.  He emphasized that there are now 15 Hungarian universities in the top 5 percent in the world rankings, and we have a field of study that is the 8th most cited in the world.

Not acknowledging these achievements is a betrayal of the nation,

he underlined. He added that Brussels is not in dispute with the Hungarian government, but with autonomous senates, which have argued in favor of the new university model.

Speaking about family protection, he pointed out that the current low number of women of childbearing age is partly due to the austerity measures of the Bokros package [1995]. At the same time, he recalled that 3600 billion forints in the form of family tax rebates have remained with families in recent years.

The government is preparing to double family tax allowances, supports housing through the revised home purchase subsidy scheme for families (Csok) and has widened access to prenatal baby loans in order to provide financial security for families. There will always be money to maintain family policy support,

he said.

Speaking about the directions in research and development, Balazs Hanko said that there has been a switch to supporting impact-driven research, with a focus on healthy living, digitalization and green transition. He added that since 2010 the number of researchers has doubled, with the number of doctoral students doubling in the past 5 years. Hungary ranks 33rd in the world based on its performance in innovation, he pointed out.

The minister also touched on economic neutrality, stressing that cooperation in economic, research and other terms must be sought to the benefit of the Hungarian nation. The economy of the European Union is becoming less and less competitive, and therefore the program of the Hungarian EU presidency is focused on a turnaround in the EU's competitiveness," Balazs Hanko said.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation Balazs Hanko (Photo: Arpad Kurucz)