Patriots Mobilize as Fight Over Erasmus Program Intensifies

One of the key topics at the Patriots for Europe summit was the European Commission’s unlawful treatment of Hungarian university students and researchers, Culture and Innovation Minister Balazs Hanko said in a post on social media. “In a joint statement, the Patriots rejected the European Commission’s use of the Erasmus+ program as a tool of political pressure,” the minister said in a video message.

Balazs Hanko, Hungary's Minister for Culture and Innovation (Photo: MTI / Tamas Purger)

According to Hungary's Culture Minister Balazs Hanko, the issue of discrimination against Hungarian students and researchers featured prominently at the Patriots for Europe EP group meeting. Writing on Facebook, he said the participants made it clear that Brussels and the European Commission is acting unlawfully toward Hungary’s academic community by excluding them from Erasmus+ program.

Balazs Hanko, Minister of Culture and Innovation, holds a press conference on the free health screening day in Godollo at the Semmelweis Health Center on December 13, 2025 (Photo: Noemi Bruzak / MTI )

“As stated in their joint declaration, they reject the European Commission’s attempt to use Erasmus+ as an instrument of political coercion,” the minister said. He added that 

while the European Commission continues to deny Hungarian students their fundamental educational rights, 

it is at the same time seeking to extend the Erasmus program to students from third countries, including African nations.

Hanko noted that it has now been three years since the European Commission excluded Hungarian students from the Erasmus program and Hungarian researchers from the Horizon research framework. 

He stressed that 

higher education is a national competence, meaning the Commission had no legal authority to make such a decision.

As he pointed out, the shift to a new university governance model was initiated by the institutions themselves, with 87 percent of university senate members voting in favor of the changes.

The minister noted that by the fall of 2022, the Hungarian government had implemented every legislative amendment the European Commission had formally requested in writing. Despite this, the exclusion still went ahead.

“What’s more, within two months of the unlawful exclusion, 13 politicians out of 105 board members—let me emphasize, 13 out of 105 state officials—immediately resigned,” Hanko said.

Balazs Hank also highlighted that in other EU countries, such as Austria, the relationship between the state and university governing bodies is far closer than in Hungary, yet no conflict-of-interest concerns are raised there.

According to the minister, the European Commission has continued to put forward ever-new demands, most recently calling for the introduction of conflict-of-interest rules for university rectors as well. 

 

Hanko described this as a direct attack on university autonomy, especially since, as he noted, there was no prior impact assessment, no concrete evidence supporting the decisions, and Hungarian university leaders were not even consulted.

Six Hungarian Universities File Suit

The minister also addressed the fact that six Hungarian universities have filed lawsuits against the European Commission. However, the proceedings have dragged on: the first hearing was held only after two and a half years, and a ruling has yet to be issued. Hankó said this delay clearly points to political motivation.

He described the consequences of the exclusions as severe: 

over the past three years, nearly 380,000 university students and around 20,000 researchers have been negatively affected by the decisions.

At the same time, he emphasized that the Hungarian government has sought to mitigate the damage through alternative programs. Under the Pannonia Program, more than 11,000 students and faculty members have already participated in international mobility schemes, while the HU-RIZONT program has connected 30 Hungarian research groups with leading universities around the world.

With the Pannonia Program—which is better than Erasmus—we have ensured that 11,355 students and instructors can take part in international programs not only across Europe, but at top universities worldwide,

the minister said.

In closing, Hankó called for justice for Hungarian students and researchers and urged support for the six Hungarian universities that have taken legal action against the European Commission. As he put it, a clear stand must be taken against “Brussels’ arbitrariness” and in defense of Hungarian higher education and research.

Cover photo: Balazs Hanko, Hungary's Minister for Culture and Innovation (Photo: MTI / Tamas Purger)

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