There are exceptional moments in history, which show with clarity − and often with brutality − that what happens in or around universities is symptomatic of profound, unresolved troubles in the broader society. Hungary is traversing such a moment.

Liviu Matei

Chasing CEU out of Hungary marked the start of a new era for Orbán, said Liviu Matei, CEU’s provost. “A line has been crossed. People are being forced out of the country. This is not restriction any more, this is repression. In Hungary, the reign of repression has been started.”

There are many current examples that show quite powerfully that higher education does play quite a significant role in building national identity and supporting its assertion.

Yet despite the threats from states – including in Hungary – they remain the only institutions that can guarantee universities’ autonomy. The key is in the hand of the state. It can turn it on, it can turn it off.

We bring students from 100 more countries around the world to Hungary and we train Hungarian young people who otherwise would go study abroad – we are playing a positive function by keeping our kids at home instead of going abroad, this legislation is meant to make the operations of CEU in Hungary very difficult – if not impossible.

If he sends it to court, which is our hope, there are grounds that they will find this bill discriminatory, if he does n’t, then we will turn to the court ourselves.

There is no rational justification of any kind, if I want a simpl... by Liviu Matei

There is no rational justification of any kind, if I want a simple explanation — it’s politics.