The Canadian Ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday due to her claims related to the CEU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed the Hungarian news agency MTI in the morning.

According to the communication which was posted on the official Canadian governmental website, the essence of the Ambassador’s statement may be summed up in that the Government of Canada is “seriously concerned” about the state of academic freedom in Hungary on account of the latest legislative amendment. In her statement, Isabelle Poupart urges the amendment of the law within the shortest possible time in line with “the commitment of Hungarian leaders” made on Saturday.

The Foreign Ministry described the Ambassador’s claims as false. They stated: in contrast to those claims, the truth is that no one jeopardises the freedom of learning in Hungary. “The freedom of learning is a right for which the Hungarian Government has always firmly stood up, and will protect it also in the future”, they pointed out.

At the same time, the Government believes it is a reasonable expectation that the same rules should apply to foreign universities as to Hungarian schools. “The Hungarian higher education legislation does not only apply to György Soros’s school, the CEU, but to all 28 foreign universities”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade laid down in its communication.

They further drew attention to the fact that academic freedom in Hungary “was not called into question even by Brussels as the topic of the infringement procedure that has been instituted is the possible violation of the free flow of services”. Naturally, the Hungarian Government is prepared to engage in talks about this, the communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reads.

(MTI)