Navracsics promises to amend legislation to solve the Erasmus issue as early as March

Hungary is ready to eliminate the incompatibility points which have caused concern and due to which the European Union has temporarily suspended the future funding of Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs, Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Regional Development announced.

Navracsics held talks in Brussels with Johannes Hahn, EU Budget Commissioner and Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Research, Education and Culture, Népszava reports.

According to the minister, in "compromise-seeking" talks with the commissioners, an agreement was reached that there would be no threat to the funding of the Erasmus+ education and Horizon Europe research programs until the second half of 2024. Hungarian universities currently participating in the research programs can continue their work and continue to apply.

According to MTI, (the Hungarian State News Agency) the Commission found it problematic that almost half of the 21 foundation-run universities have politicians on their boards of trustees, and their mandate is open-ended.

Navracsics said that Parliament could amend the law concerning both points, even within a month.

He added that further consultations will be needed to define the acceptable length of mandate and the level of political office-holders beyond ministers to which the ban should apply.

Népszava previously reported on 9 January that Hungarian educational institutions that are run as public interest trusts or are maintained by the same will no longer be eligible for EU funding for the Erasmus+ education exchange program and the Horizon Europe program, which supports research and innovation. We have previously reported in detail on the European Commission's decision affecting twenty-one Hungarian universities, and the background to it.