Over the past few days the CEU has been continuously misleading the public – including scholars and organisations of international repute. Instead of complying with legislative requirements, the Soros university has chosen to try to retain its privileges at all costs – in the process of which it has used all means at its disposal. For example, with reference to its permit from the Education Office it made a false statement, which it was later obliged to modify.
The subject of the legislative amendment adopted by Parliament today is not against the Central European University (Közép-európai Egyetem), and the CEU will be able to continue its operations as soon as there is an international agreement between the two countries which supports this in principle.
The Soros university has enjoyed privileges unavailable to any other institution of higher education in Hungary. Even though its students are only required to attend a single course, the university has been able to issue them with two degrees – Hungarian and American. This may be good business for George Soros, but in the competition between universities it represents an unfair advantage. The legislative amendment brings this discriminative business practice to an end, closes a loophole and creates a level playing field for universities.
Although most foreign university students in Hungary do not study at the CEU, the CEU has been the only institution enjoying these privileges. As is clear from the previously released correspondence, former education minister Bálint Magyar and socialist governments unquestioningly incorporated the requests of George Soros into legislation, disregarding the interests of Hungarian universities and university students.
It is extremely telling that, of the numerous parties affected by the legislative amendment, only the CEU sees it as unacceptable.
It is clear from the text of the legislative amendment now adopted that – contrary to the overblown scaremongering campaign now in progress – the new regulations will not lead to the automatic closure of a single foreign university registered and operating in Hungary. Instead it supports reasonable conditions for the issue of degrees which are valid across the entire European Union.