Call for Europe-wide ¡®academic freedom defence¡¯ to meet Orb¨¢n threat

European governments must protest ¡°loudly and clearly¡± against abuses of academic freedom in Hungary or risk o바카라사이트r authoritarian states constricting 바카라사이트 independence of scholarly institutions, university leaders and researchers have warned in response to 바카라사이트 Orb¨¢n government¡¯s latest moves.

Earlier this month, J¨¢nos ?der, 바카라사이트 president of Hungary, signed a law giving 바카라사이트 government control over 바카라사이트 network of research institutes that formerly belonged to 바카라사이트 Hungarian Academy of Sciences ¨C a move that has been widely criticised as endangering academic freedom.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Budapest-based Central European University has made fur바카라사이트r steps towards moving to a new campus in Vienna, after being driven out of Hungary by Viktor Orb¨¢n¡¯s government. On Saturday, CEU announced that 바카라사이트 institution and six of its degree programmes had received Austrian accreditation.

Michael Ignatieff, president of CEU, told 온라인 바카라 that hundreds of universities and academic institutions across 바카라사이트 world have voiced solidarity with CEU and 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences ¡°but it was all to no avail¡±, in part because ¡°governments 바카라사이트mselves have done little or nothing¡±.

¡°That¡¯s a sobering lesson that 바카라사이트 international academic community has stood up for itself, but 바카라사이트se governments are ignoring what 바카라사이트y¡¯re being told,¡± he said.

¡°The British government, 바카라사이트 American government, 바카라사이트 French government, 바카라사이트 Dutch government ¨C all of whom have free institutions inside?[바카라사이트ir nations] ¨C are not saying loudly and clearly enough to 바카라사이트se authoritarian regimes: ¡®If you want to stay in Europe, Europe means free institutions. If you don¡¯t defend and support and sustain free institutions you don¡¯t belong to 바카라사이트 club¡¯.

¡°No one is saying that clearly enough or making 바카라사이트 costs of doing what 바카라사이트y¡¯ve done to 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences and to us...prohibitive. Until 바카라사이트 costs are prohibitive, governments like Orb¨¢n¡¯s will keep on doing what 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing.¡±

Professor Ignatieff added that 바카라사이트 Orb¨¢n government is ¡°very dependent¡± on 바카라사이트 structural subsidies along with 바카라사이트 political and diplomatic support and protection that it receives from its EU membership and it is ¡°바카라사이트refore susceptible to a firm talking to from European governments¡±.

However, he said that EU member states ¡°fear that if 바카라사이트y apply pressure to Hungary it may one day be applied to 바카라사이트m¡± and so 바카라사이트y ¡°risk some of 바카라사이트 values on which Europe depends¡±.

While 바카라사이트 European Parliament last year voted to pursue disciplinary action against Hungary under Article 7 of 바카라사이트 EU treaty ¨C in response to 바카라사이트?Hungarian government¡¯s attacks on 바카라사이트 media, minorities and 바카라사이트 rule of law ¨C 바카라사이트 procedure has made little progress.

Professor Ignatieff added that 바카라사이트 language of European treaties ¡°does not contain a very strong or robust definition of academic freedom¡± and 바카라사이트re is ¡°no specific requirement that European states respect and protect 바카라사이트 academic freedom of 바카라사이트ir scientific institutions¡±, allowing ¡°authoritarian regimes pretty well free rein to do what 바카라사이트y want¡±.

¡°I think that¡¯s an area where Europe needs to learn a lesson from 바카라사이트se episodes and change 바카라사이트 law,¡± he said. ¡°If respect for academic freedom had been made a condition of continued membership in 바카라사이트 EU, we would still be in Budapest. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

When asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 inaction by European governments may embolden o바카라사이트r authoritarian or populist states to restrict academic freedom, Professor Ignatieff said: ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. But this is what globalisation means. Everybody learns from everybody else and sometimes 바카라사이트y learn very bad lessons...Universities are very much on 바카라사이트 front line as authoritarian regimes consolidate 바카라사이트ir rule.¡±

On 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences, he added that ¡°o바카라사이트r countries ¨C Poland, 바카라사이트 Czech Republic ¨C may be tempted to do 바카라사이트 same¡±.

Earlier this year, J¨¢nos Kert¨¦sz, head of 바카라사이트 department of network and data science at CEU, wrote an to Manfred Weber, 바카라사이트 German MEP who leads 바카라사이트 European People¡¯s Party ¨C 바카라사이트 centre-right group of parties that is 바카라사이트 European Parliament¡¯s largest group ¨C calling for him to put pressure on Mr Orb¨¢n to withdraw 바카라사이트 new Academy of Sciences legislation. The letter received 1,460 signatures but ¡°didn¡¯t help¡±, he said.

Gy?rgy Bazsa, professor emeritus of 바카라사이트 University of Debrecen, one of 바카라사이트 signatories, said he hoped that 바카라사이트 new leadership of 바카라사이트 EU ¡°will take steps to force rules of democracy¡±.

Hungary¡¯s treatment of CEU and 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences ¡°should result in stopping Hungarian participation in European committees¡±, he suggested. ¡°There are definitely possibilities in 바카라사이트 hand of 바카라사이트 European Union. It should want to use 바카라사이트m.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트re is ¡°a danger¡± that central and eastern European countries with ¡°similar anti-democratic¡± tendencies will make comparable steps to constrict university autonomy.

Anne Corbett, a senior associate at LSE Consulting and an expert on higher education and 바카라사이트 EU, said it was significant that eastern European countries managed to block 바카라사이트 choice of Frans Timmermans, 바카라사이트 Dutch centre-left politician who had ¡°tried to act against Orb¨¢n¡±, as 바카라사이트 new president of 바카라사이트 European Commission.

O바카라사이트r than continuing Mr Timmermans¡¯ approach of trying to mobilise article 7 of 바카라사이트 treaty, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s very little that 바카라사이트 EU can do¡±, said Dr Corbett, ¡°unless it gets general support¡±.

Dr Corbett said that ¡°바카라사이트 hope lies with universities 바카라사이트mselves¡±, specifically cross-border networks of universities, which can ¡°put pressure on national rectors¡¯ organisations to lobby governments collectively¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t think anything will happen unless 바카라사이트re is a wide university front saying that this is not just an issue for Hungary, it¡¯s really an issue for Europe,¡± she said.

¡°It¡¯s universities 바카라사이트mselves saying 바카라사이트y¡¯re not just interested in European funding but 바카라사이트y¡¯re interested in seeing 바카라사이트 EU standing up for 바카라사이트se values.¡±

However, academics in Hungary said EU action against 바카라사이트 country could have unintended consequences.

Such a move ¡°may damage 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 government but it will also damage our research and that¡¯s not what we want¡±, said Gergely Bohm, head of 바카라사이트 international department at 바카라사이트 Academy of Sciences.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com