Hundreds of thousands of Hungarian students are collectively excluded from the Erasmus programme

Omissions

• The exclusion began in December 2022 and continues as of the session date (February 2026).
• The exclusion applies specifically to universities maintained by public interest trusts due to rule-of-law concerns regarding academic freedom.
• Pre-2022 annual Erasmus+ mobility participation by Hungarian students was approximately 15,000-20,000 students per year, not hundreds of thousands.
• The speaker did not cite a specific source for the 'hundreds of thousands' figure.
• The Hungarian government has promoted domestic alternatives as replacements.

Sources

• PrimaryErasmus+ Hungary Factsheet 2023 - European CommissionProvides annual data on Erasmus+ participation in Hungary showing typical annual mobility numbers in the thousands range, not hundreds of thousands
• SecondaryTelex - Another door closed for Hungarian researchersReports on European Commission's December 2022 suspension of new Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe contracts with Hungarian public interest trust-maintained universities
• SecondaryHungarian Conservative - Hungary Withholds Support for New Erasmus StrategyConfirms ongoing exclusion of Hungarian students from Erasmus programme and Hungary's refusal to support new EU Erasmus strategy until access is restored