HUNGARY

President accepts EU demands around higher education law

According to his party, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told leaders of his centre-right EU political group that he would comply with demands from Brussels to change measures branded an attack on academic freedom, reports Reuters.

"Prime Minister Orbán committed himself in the European People’s Party [EPP] council to follow and implement all the demands of the European Commission within the deadline set by the commission," Siegfried Muresan, EPP spokesman, told reporters after Orbán was grilled by fellow party leaders.

On 26 April, the European Union executive gave Budapest a month to adapt a higher education law passed on 4 April, saying it was not compatible with fundamental European freedoms. EPP President Joseph Daul, whose group has considered in the past suspending Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party over concerns about its respect for democratic values, said Orbán had reassured the party that Hungary would comply with the commission’s request.
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