According to Steve Cohen, freedom of expression and university autonomy are also violated by the Hungarian government’s attack on the University of Theater and Film Arts.

There is growing resistance from students and professors to the erosion of the autonomy of the University of Theater and Film Arts (SZFE) due to the government’s decision to continue the university as a foundation under Attila Vidnyánszky. More and more world-famous artists are joining the solidarity movement around SZFE, but the Vidnyánszky family is not expanding. You can follow the latest developments in the SZFE scandal in our article series.

An American congressman wrote a letter to Viktor Orbán. Democrat Steve Cohen, elected in Tennessee, said freedom of speech and academic autonomy were also violated by the Hungarian government’s undemocratic attack on the University of Theater and Film Arts (SZFE).

Hungarian arts will also be affected by the SZFE attack

– argues Cohen, who recalls that the Hungarian government put the SZFE under the full control of the foundation.

The deputy is deeply disappointed that the Orbán government has added several other universities to loyal private foundations. (For example, the Moholy-Nagy University of Arts and the Corvinus University of Budapest did so before SZFE.)

Any attempt to suppress ideas and thoughts is also an attempt to suppress democracy, Cohen argues in the letter.

I hope you hear the students demonstrating

The American politician warns Orban in his letter.

The MP expressed similar concerns in 2017, when the CEU was forced to move to Vienna from Budapest due to the Orbán government. In 2019, he addressed Donald Trump with his fellow MPs and asked the president of the United States not to meet with Orban.



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The SZFE may get caught in the throat of power, but it will carry you through what the government has started.


Fanni Czeglédi – Hanna Csatlós
Life + Style

It has been more than a week since the students of the University of Theater and Cinematographic Arts were blocked in the main building of the university, new members of the board were not allowed to enter the institution and the start of teaching was postponed . For the moment, the new head of government and the institution, Attila Vidnyánszky, does not want to make a withdrawal. A tense stalemate has developed and we have turned around the possible scenarios in which events could continue from here.

Performing arts workers prepare for a strike


hvg.hu
At home

If their demands are not met, the staff of the University of Theater and Film Arts will go on strike. The students, meanwhile, are asked to ask László Palkovics to resign from the foundation’s board of trustees, which is in charge of maintaining the institution.