The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) calls for the immediate and coordinated restoration of full participation by Hungarian higher education institutions in the Erasmus+ programme.
For several years, Hungarian students have faced restricted access to Europe’s biggest mobility programme. This prolonged uncertainty has disrupted academic planning, limited institutional partnerships, and constrained international opportunities available to thousands of learners. Clarity, predictability, and stability are essential for students planning their academic futures, yet the current situation continues to undermine these conditions. Hungarian students have endured long enough with reduced access to a programme that is fundamental to European higher education cooperation.
Erasmus+ is the cornerstone of European student mobility. According to the XV ESNsurvey, more than 91% of exchange students participate in their mobility abroad through Erasmus+, such is the central and systemic role it plays in enabling academic mobility across the continent. Ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of Hungarian higher education institutions in Erasmus+ is therefore essential not only for Hungarian students, but for the strength and cohesion of the European Education Area as a whole. The continued limitations in accessing the Erasmus+ programme risk long-term consequences for Hungarian HEIs, for their international competitiveness, and for the established academic networks built over decades.
We therefore urge European and Hungarian decision-makers to work closely, constructively, and swiftly to address the remaining barriers preventing the unblocking of Erasmus+ funds:
- We call on the Hungarian government to urgently and fully implement the necessary remedial measures, particularly those related to governance structures, transparency in public fund management, and the prevention of conflicts of interest, including those concerning public-interest foundations. These reforms are essential to ensure alignment with European Union standards for the sound financial management of Union programmes.
- We call on the European Commission to actively support resolving the current situation by engaging constructively with Hungarian authorities, providing clear guidance on the required steps, and ensuring a swift and transparent assessment of the measures taken. Within its role, the Commission should facilitate progress towards lifting the existing measures, in line with the applicable EU legal framework, while ensuring that students and higher education institutions are not disproportionately affected.
- We call on the Council of the European Union to promptly lift or amend the measures currently in place, enabling the full resumption of participation in Erasmus+.
Given the urgency for students and institutions, this process should be completed within a clear and realistic timeframe, allowing Hungarian students to participate fully in Erasmus+ mobility from the 2026/2027 academic year, including mobilities expected in September 2026.
On another note, we recognise the Pannónia Scholarship Programme as an important national initiative that has provided valuable international opportunities for Hungarian students and staff excluded from the Erasmus+ programme. However, rather than serving as an alternative to Erasmus+, the Pannónia Programme should be firmly positioned as a complementary instrument. We call on the Hungarian government to ensure that the Pannónia Programme is maintained and further developed as a co-financing mechanism supporting Erasmus+ mobility, reinforcing the programme through additional financial support and contributing to wider and more inclusive participation.
This call builds upon our previous joint statement, “Mobility must be a reality for all”, in which we emphasised that Hungarian students should not bear the consequences of broader political processes and called for continuous access to Erasmus+. As long as full participation remains restricted, our responsibility to speak up for students continues.
International mobility is a pillar of European solidarity and cooperation. Hungarian students are an integral part of this shared academic community. Their opportunities should no longer remain limited.
The Erasmus Student Network stands ready to contribute constructively to any dialogue that accelerates the full restoration of Erasmus+ participation and ensures that Hungarian students regain the opportunities they rightfully expect within the European Higher Education Area.
Follow ESN