ELF Board Member and Director of Strategy at Republikon Institute, Dr. Csaba Tóth, comments on the recent developments in Budapest, Hungary, regarding the Central European University.

Hi Csaba, what is happening in Hungary right now?

The Hungarian government reached another low point by attacking the Central European University: an international Budapest-based university which is among the best in social science education – not only in Hungary, but in Europe. The legislation passed by the Fidesz-dominated Hungarian Parliament set criteria clearly aimed at making it impossible for CEU to operate in Hungary. As a matter of fact, the law is already being called “lex CEU”. The government thought that by attacking a university originally founded by George Soros it could continue its politics of division and demonization. Orbán seems to have miscalculated, however: the acceptance of lex CEU sparked massive protests in Budapest.

Is Republikon, the ELF member organization where you work as Director of Strategy, actively supporting the protests?

ELF member organization Republikon was among those expressing strong solidarity with CEU. Republikon analysts were active in countering government propaganda and engaged in a vigorous defense of CEU in the online and electronic media.

CEU needs all the international support it can get: both as a show of solidarity and as an effective means of countering Orban’s competent fake news machine. All information and possibilities of support can be found here: https://www.ceu.edu/category/istandwithceu