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Andrea Peto on Academic Freedom in Hungary

“The illiberal transformation supports anti-intellectualism, the shift from the elite to loyal commissars who carry out the orders they receive,” our Research Affiliate Andrea Peto said to Brazilian daily Estadao.

The article, entitled “Orban’s Hungary Represses Press and Universities,” covers how the Hungarian government has been trying to occupy critical institutions with allies for ten years. Andrea Peto also talked about how the government distributes taxpayers' money to religious institutions and loyal organizations to take over state institutions such as universities and schools.

She also talked about the government’s fight against CEU and against gender studies, which was part of a conservative legal counterrevolution: the government used legal framework to destroy democratic institutions, she said, adding that the takeover is now complete, the next step will be the purge of employees in the recently privatized higher education institutions, and taking control over their curriculum.

Read the full article (in Portuguese, subscription required) here.

Cover image: Attila Szervac / Wikimedia Commons
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