The EU Commission’s decision to deny the Vienna-based Modul University participation in the Erasmus program has sparked a new chapter in the escalating conflict between Brussels and Budapest. The renowned university and its students have become entangled in a geopolitical web.
The Erasmus+ program, which supports over a million students and staff each year, symbolizes the European idea of cross-border cooperation. However, the 26 billion euros allocated to Erasmus+ in the EU budget from 2021 to 2027 will no longer be allocated to the Modul University and its students.
The reason for this decision lies in a change in the ownership structure of the university: 90% of the shares now belong to a Hungarian foundation with close ties to Viktor Orbán’s government. The Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a think tank of the Hungarian government, has been in the EU’s focus of criticism for years. Brussels accuses the Hungarian foundations of having unclear connections to the political leadership. Already last year, funding for Hungarian universities was frozen.
The recent decision goes a step further, affecting an Austrian institution for the first time. This sets a precedent, raising the question of how much political circumstances and ownership structures of educational institutions should influence their participation in European programs.
The EU Commission made no secret of its motivations: the close ties of the Modul University to the Hungarian establishment stand in contradiction to the principles of European rule of law. However, critics see the decision as an attack on academic freedom and an unwarranted interference in the independence of educational institutions.
Balázs Orbán, a political advisor to Viktor Orbán, expressed outrage. On the platform X, he stated, “Brussels is punishing European students and revealing its political bias.”The Modul University does not take this lying down and has already initiated legal steps. It plans to challenge the decision before the European Court of Justice.
The development has also caused unease in Austria. The university emphasizes that it is subject to Austrian law and pursues no political agenda. The EU measures are, therefore, entirely disproportionate and primarily harm the students.
The decision fits seamlessly into the ongoing conflict between the EU and the Orbán government, which has been escalating in recent years. Brussels has targeted a wide range of Hungarian institutions – from universities to media to non-governmental organizations. Officially, the EU Commission attributes this to alleged legal shortcomings and corruption allegations. For Orbán and his circle, however, these sanctions are a clear expression of political double standards and an attempt to wage an ideological culture war.
The fact that an Austrian university is now drawn into this conflict has far-reaching consequences. The new turquoise-blue government in Vienna may feel compelled to take a stance. The FPÖ, which traditionally pursues a critical attitude towards Brussels, will undoubtedly strongly condemn the EU Commission’s decision.
Until the legal dispute is resolved, the Modul University plans to finance the Erasmus mobility of its students itself – the young people should not be made to pay the price for Brussels’ political games. The university is also looking for alternatives so that its students are not left behind.
Whether the EU will reconsider its decision remains uncertain. One thing is clear, however, the question of how much political influence belongs in the realm of academic freedom will continue to preoccupy the European educational landscape – and Brussels will likely be criticized for it again.