Democracy is out of order: CEU forced to leave Hungary Published: 5 December 2018 Analysis The Central European University (CEU) announced that it is forced to launch all degree programs in a new location in Vienna in September 2019. The Hungarian Government has made it impossible for the university to ensure its operations in Budapest on the long run. By Gabi Gőbl
Gestrandet: Tschetschenische Geflüchtete in Belarus Published: 21 March 2018 Interview Weil Polen die Annahme von Asylanträgen überwiegend verweigert, müssen Geflüchtete in in der belarussischen Grenzstadt Brest ausharren. Sicher fühlen sie sich dort nicht. By Robert Sperfeld
“A good refugee policy has to be a good host community policy” Published: 5 January 2018 Interview Prof. Alexander Betts on his new study on Syrian refugees in Europe and the political consequences that their exclusion from the labour market might have. By Jelena Nikolic
Hungary 2017: Detained refugees, persecuted NGOs, lack of legal certainty Published: 29 December 2017 Hungary has reached a point where people fleeing from war and persecution can be detained, beaten and deprived of their rights, while those who endeavour to help them are cast as national security risks. By Nóra Köves
Lex CEU: A Kafkaesque Affair Published: 27 June 2017 Interview The Hungarian government’s recently adopted legislation seem to specifically target the Central European University, creating a situation of existential instability. Anna Frenyó spoke with Zsolt Enyedi, the university’s Pro-Rector for Hungarian Affairs about the latest developments.
The role of irony in the political activism of Hungarian youth Published: 31 May 2017 In April 2017, a series of demonstrations took place in Budapest against an amendment to the Higher Education Act. They were organised by mostly social media-based groups, but they differed in several aspects from the demonstration culture that has been the norm in Hungary in recent decades. By Andrea Szabó
"It’s about a battle of ideas in which we have to constantly engage our opponents" Published: 18 May 2017 In the beginning of April, the Hungarian President János Áder signed into force certain amendments to the Higher Education Act which in their particular formulation are obviously directed against the renowned Central European University (CEU), based in Budapest. We discussed with President Michael Ignatieff the implications of the new legislation on the university and its future prospects. By Peter Brod
Orbán vs. the World: The Background Context of the Lex CEU Published: 3 May 2017 The attack on CEU is one in a series of attempts to eliminate the so-called enemies of illiberal democracy. The government has manufactured a fear-inducing narrative by inventing an imaginary enemy threatening the people of Hungary. By Gabi Gőbl
Orbán’s illiberal experiment: the real danger for Europe this year Published: 12 April 2017 Europe seems to face a more immediate threat than Le Pen. It comes from a central European country whose governing party belongs to the most mainstream European party, the European People’s Party, Hungary. By Péter Krekó
Lex CEU: The beginning of the end of Hungary’s academic independence Published: 7 April 2017 If Hungarian President János Áder signs the law, it will most probably have serious consequences for Hungary’s diplomatic relations. No less importantly, it will mark the beginning of the end of an independent academic sector in the country. By Zsófia Deák