Is Hungary's parliament against science freedom? | Knowledge & Environment | '
It is expected that this Tuesday (2 July 2019) the Hungarian National Parliament will adopt a law amending the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). Accordingly, 15 academy institutes are to be outsourced from the academy and subordinated to a mixed committee in which the government holds the majority.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban's FIDESZ party and its politically related parliamentarians hold an absolute majority in parliament. Therefore, there is no doubt that they will accept the bill.
The plans, which have been known for some time, have repeatedly provoked protests from researchers and academics at home and abroad over the past few weeks.
Most recently, several thousand people took to the streets last Sunday in Budapest to demand the whereabouts of the research institutes in the Academy of Sciences.
A supervisory body for institutes and a political research council
The changes in the scientific landscape are expected to come into force on 1 September. The supervisory body of the institutes – called Eötvös Lóránd Research Network (ELKH) – is to be staffed with 13 persons. Six each will be sent by the Academy of Sciences and six by the Ministry of Innovation.
Tipping the scales will play at polls of the committee's leaders. It is jointly determined by the government and the Minister of Innovation László Palkovics.
The ELCH could deprive the Academy of important financial resources. These include scholarships for scientists and the financing of research projects.
In addition, the Academy could lose the previously guaranteed by law grant to finance ongoing costs.
In parallel, the new law establishes a "National Science Policy Council". This is the innovation minister personally. This body is to advise the government on innovation and research topics.
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Resistance of academics falls on deaf ears
The Academy of Sciences has spoken out against the change in law. Academy President László Lovász said in a statement that the Academy had "tirelessly negotiated", but the government has stuck to its position.
"The Academy is very successful in the operation of its research network," says Lovász. In contrast, the government "failed to come up with a strategy that would justify separation (of the institutions)." He concludes that the future scientific landscape is "unsuitable for the research community" and violates the law "against European principles".
Bad example: Germany
Innovation Minister Palkovics holds that the government wants to make Hungary "more competitive" by rebuilding it. He also justified the move with reference to the German research institutions, such as the Leibniz Association or the Max Planck Society, which, in his view, perform a similar task as the ELKH.
The Hungarian Minister of Innovation Laszlo Palkovics
However, the representative of the German science organizations see very differently. They emphasized their independence from politics and signed a letter under the leadership of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina to Palkovics.
In the letter, the German research organizations criticize the bill and express their solidarity with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
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European politicians: violation of democratic principles
Many critics also spoke out of politics. Udo Bullmann, leader of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, accused Prime Minister Viktor Orban of wanting to silence critical scientists, for example by eliminating certain controversial areas of research such as gender studies. "We are appalled to see Orban make a new strike against the freedom of science and thus against democracy in his country," said Bullmann. He was "obviously out to install a flawless autocracy in Hungary."
Since 2017, the Hungarian government has taken steps to restrict the freedom of scholarship. So she limited the work of the US billionaire George Soros funded Central European University (CEU) massively. It enacted a university tuition law, which sets conditions for the continuation of the university, which are unacceptable for the CEU leadership.
From autumn 2019, the CEU will gradually move to Vienna and start teaching there. By 2023, the entire university is to move to Austria.
More: Moving to Vienna: Central European University bends Orbán pressure
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