Orban Undaunted as Hungary Passes Law Targeting Soros's CEU
- Soros’s CEU university in Budapest says law aims to close it
- Legislation triggers protests, fuels debate over democracy
A protest rally organized by the Freedom for Education movement in Budapest, Hungary, on April 2.
Photographer: Zoltan Balogh/EPAThis article is for subscribers only.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pushed through a bill that critics say is aimed at shutting down a university founded by George Soros, a conflict that’s become emblematic of concern that liberal democracy is in retreat in the eastern European nation.
Parliament, where Orban’s party has a commanding majority, approved the bill tightening regulation on foreign universities on Tuesday, the same day legislators had the first chance to debate it. Ignoring street demonstrations, ruling-party lawmakers amended the bill on Monday to tighten deadlines for universities to meet new regulations.