EU Research Commissioner to Skip Budapest Meeting Amid Tensions with Hungary

Research Commissioner Iliana Ivanova will not attend an informal meeting of EU research ministers scheduled for September in Budapest, following rising tensions linked to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's recent trip to Moscow. As Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, it has planned several informal meetings in its capital, despite the Commission's directive for officials to refrain from attending these gatherings. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticized Orbán's visit, labeling it an "appeasement mission" that undermines the EU's unity. Despite the absence of Ivanova, the informal meeting of higher education and research ministers will proceed as planned on September 16 and 17. In a related development, Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, announced that he would convene informal meetings of EU foreign ministers in Brussels instead of Budapest, a decision that reflects the ongoing diplomatic strains but is unlikely to affect other policy areas. The tensions between Hungary and the EU extend beyond Orbán's geopolitical maneuvers. In December 2022, the EU suspended funding for 30 Hungarian higher education and cultural institutions, including 21 universities, due to concerns over transparency and academic freedom following changes that transformed these institutions into 'public trust foundations' controlled by the prime minister's allies. A report from the Hungarian Young Academy highlighted the detrimental impact of this funding suspension on the international reputation of Hungarian science, with around 40% of early career researchers reporting negative consequences. Many expressed concerns that international collaborators were hesitant to engage with them, even for projects unaffected by the funding ban.