The court of the European Union accepted the claim of the “founded” universities, the Erasmus trial can begin

The Court of Justice of the European Union accepted the lawsuit filed last May by six “foundation” – i.e. previously state-run – universities that were transformed into private institutions against the decision of the European Council in December 2022, Népszava reports.

Béla Merkely, the rector of Semmelweis University, spoke in an earlier interview with the newspaper about the fact that the Court of Justice of the European Union accepted the lawsuit brought by Hungarian universities after the European Council prohibited the EU from entering into contracts with institutions operating in the form of foundations, which essentially It means their temporary exclusion from the Erasmus+ educational exchange program and the Horizon Europe research and development program. According to the official justification, the ban will remain in effect until the Hungarian government eliminates the conflict of interest typical of the boards of trustees of such institutions. The parties have so far failed to reach an agreement in the procedure that has been going on for a year and a half, although negotiations are ongoing.

Béla Merkely’s announcement – according to which the judges declared the claim admissible two weeks ago – has now been confirmed by the judicial body.

All this means that the trial can begin, which will probably last one and a half to two years. Despite this, the rector is confident that the defendant EU Council will recommend a “tie” before the end of the year, i.e. withdraw from the lawsuit. If the Orbán government implements the Brussels requests before the end of the year, and the named higher education institutions can contract with the EU again, then of course the lawsuit will become pointless.