Following the ousting of the previous administration, attention is turning to how the inbound government, led by Péter Magyar’s Tisza Celebration, will improve Hungary’s relationships with the EU and reconstruct international education relations.
Ákos Király, a Hungarian higher education expert presently operating at SRH College in Germany, described the result as both individual and professionally substantial.
“The election in Hungary is, for me, more than just a political moment– it is likewise deeply personal. Having lived and operated in Germany for several years in the worldwide college sector, I continue to follow developments in Hungary very closely,” he stated.
“The Tisza program addresses the ideal priorities: restoring university autonomy, re-engaging with European programs such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, and strengthening global partnerships.
“These are not abstract aspirations– they are important conditions for Hungarian universities to totally reconnect with the European Higher Education Location,” he said.
“What stands apart most to me is the message behind this vote. On the anniversary of the 2003 EU referendum, Hungarian citizens have sent a clear signal that they see their future securely anchored in Europe. From my point of view in Germany, that is both effective and encouraging,” Király continued.
“I see this as a genuine opportunity for a reset– one that can rebuild trust, reactivate international cooperation, and reposition Hungary as a valued and active partner in the European college and research landscape.”
< blockquote class= "wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow "> I see this as a genuine chance for a reset– one that can reconstruct trust, reactivate international partnership, and reposition Hungary as a valued and active partner in the European higher education and research study landscape
Ákos Király, SRH College
A key issue for universities is the anticipated repair of access to EU funding programs, particularly Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, which were suspended for significant Hungarian organizations in 2022.
Péter Árvai, deputy director at the University of Pécs’ International Centre, said institutions are anticipating fast progress.
“Within Europe, we expect restoring a trust-based partnership. Hungarian college is deeply integrated into the European higher education framework, created through enduring individual connections as well as research and educational projects and partnerships.
“This trust-based collaboration was badly affected in 2022 when the European Commission suspended access to EU funds for significant Hungarian universities. We expect this suspension to end this year, and we aspire to rejoin the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs as quickly as possible.
“Accessing Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe funds is a top concern for the incoming administration, and we anticipate immediate results from this. This will be the first and most substantial gain,” added Árvai.
“In the last few years, we have observed a decrease in incoming student movement from EU countries. This pattern not just affects conventional movement programs but likewise affects our German-taught medicine, dentistry, and veterinary programs, which bring in thousands of German-speaking trainees from numerous EU nations. We hope that European trainees will go back to Hungary following this regime change,” stated Árvai.
The expectation is that enhanced political relations with the EU might help reverse this trend and bring back Hungary’s appearance as a research study location.
In other places, Hungary’s higher education system has faced sustained examination over governance and academic liberty.
The forced departure of Central European University, established by benefactor George Soros, ended up being a specifying point in issues over academic liberty throughout Orbán’s administration, along with wider reforms.
Among the most contentious of these was the restructuring of universities into foundation-run organizations, described as the “model change”.
“The so-called ‘model modification’ in higher education, whereby the previous federal government contracted out 21 leading Hungarian universities to specially created structures run by the federal government’s most devoted advocates, was particularly destructive. Péter Magyar’s Tisza Celebration has actually emphasised that reversing this policy will be a leading concern,” stated Árvai.
“We likewise hope for changes in migration policies and, similarly importantly, in the tone and culture surrounding discussions about individuals of various colours, ethnic backgrounds, and religious backgrounds,” he included.
“Immigration and labor policies affecting third-country citizens have actually been substantial challenges to the development of international enrolment. While we remain confident for modifications, it seems that Péter Magyar is bewaring with rhetoric on this topic and appears to choose keeping the policies of the previous federal government, at least in the meantime.”
Árvai also expects a shift in diplomacy beyond Europe.
“The previous Hungarian foreign policy stressed the ‘Eastern and Southern Opening’ technique, which included opening embassies, directing aid, and providing a considerable variety of scholarships to nations in the Global South. We wish to keep the accomplishments of this policy, however we are positive that Hungarian diplomacy will now focus more on standard European and regional collaborations.”
< img src ="// www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%200'%3E%3C/svg%3E"/ > < img src="https://thepienews.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Boundless-Learning-600x500-1.jpg"/ >