BUDAPEST, Hungary — The rector of Central European University said Wednesday that the institution will resist legal amendments proposed by the Hungarian government, regarding them as discriminatory.
CEU, opened in 1991, was founded by Hungarian-born billionaire philanthropist George Soros, considered an ideological opponent by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The proposal was considered an extension of Orban’s criticism of the activities of organizations funded by Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
“The timing of the legislation coincides with the wide-ranging attacks on the Soros institutions, which makes it hard to see it as a mere fluke,” said analyst Gergely Rajnai from the Center for Fair Political Analysis, a Budapest think tank.
“At the same time, it would be surprising if the real aim was to expel CEU from Hungary. The government would not really gain much from that and if CEU were to close its doors it would be a serious loss for Hungary’s higher education.”
CEU Rector Michael Ignatieff said Hungary’s proposed changes to the law on higher education targeted the university were “discriminatory” and threatened CEU’s continued existence in Hungary.
“If it is passed, CEU will resort to all available legal remedies,” Ignatieff told reporters.
