Zoltán Tanács, Hungary's Minister for Science and Technology, told Politico that the country is on track to rejoin Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research programme. According to Tanács, changes to the governance of higher education institutions have removed legal obstacles that previously blocked access to EU research funding. He said, in legal terms, Hungary has "returned": the government restructured university governance and eliminated what he described as "odd constructions" put in place by the previous administration.
Tanács made the remarks while attending the Central and Eastern Europe Artificial Intelligence Summit in Prague, adding that the reforms could allow Hungary to become a full participant again both in Horizon Europe and in the Erasmus+ higher education programme.
Brussels response and the 2022 suspension
A spokesperson for the European Commission said that Hungary has not yet officially notified Brussels of the changes. The Commission's earlier concerns centred on the system of public asset-management foundations (közérdekű vagyonkezelő alapítványok), where conflict-of-interest risks were identified. Those concerns led to an EU decision in 2022 that resulted in Hungary being excluded from a number of research projects financed from EU funds.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said at the end of May—during a meeting with Magyar Péter—that Hungary is gradually winding down the system of public asset-management foundations.
Timing for fund release
Tanács acknowledged that some administrative steps remain, but he expressed confidence that Brussels will release the funds by the end of the year. The article notes that Horizon Europe currently has a budgeted envelope of about €95 billion; Tanács said that being cut off from the programme caused "huge damage."
AI investments and academic hiring plans
The minister indicated that Hungary plans significant investments in artificial intelligence once access to European research collaborations is restored. He said the government aims to create "hundreds of new professorships focusing on artificial intelligence, in international cooperation."
While the Hungarian government describes the legal barriers as removed, formal re-entry depends on an official notification to and confirmation from the European Commission; until Brussels completes its review and acts, Hungary's participation cannot be considered final.
