László Palkovics does not negotiate with the Actors

“I am used to being unlucky in government. Of course, other ministers often get into serious conflicts, only I usually have counterparts who can effectively upset the national and international public,” said Palkovic, Minister of Higher Education. László to the Mandiner.

An employee of the newspaper asked the minister why the government claims that it is not part of the debate on the SZFE, despite the fact that the cabinet has decided on the composition of the board of directors. (The right to be part of the board of directors and representatives of Mol Plc.)

Palkovics: Excellent people on the board of directors

The law states that the state will appoint a board of directors, which will then decide how it wants to run the university, the minister replied. (In fact, the Minister of Innovation, László Palkovics, appointed the board of trustees in accordance with the constitution law of the foundation maintained by the SZFE, not the state. The minister will also exercise the foundational rights of the foundation until December 31, 2021 – ed.)

“There is a legitimate need for the government to exercise prudence in appointing members. This is what happened when we looked at who is on the board of directors. Three artists, also experts in managing large systems, are excellent people at his profession, led by Attila Vidnyánszky. Of course, I understand that the other Oszkár Világi (Mol) is one of the most serious businessmen in Hungary, he appears in Slovakia and at home as a patron of the art world, and György Bacsa (Mol) has a lawyer, who will also benefit the university. “Double standards are unacceptable to us, the law must be observed by all universities equally,” said the Minister of Higher Education.

Nominate members

At the same time, a Mandiner journalist drew the minister’s attention to the fact that no one is on the board of trustees of the SZFE foundation proposed by the university. (Although they asked the SZFE for a recommendation on the members.)

According to László Palkovics, they value the university’s past, professional skills and artistic performance. “However, in all the other universities that change models, which represent 98 percent of the total number of students in the seven institutions, in no case have staff and students questioned the inclusion of suitable people on the board administration. Everywhere we try to ensure selected members who carry out activities consistent with the university’s professional portfolio. (The change in model means the outsourcing of higher education institutions to the ownership of the foundation, the participation of market participants and the transformation of public funding. In addition to representatives from the business sector, the boards of directors also included people related to the government and to Fidesz.)

ITM does not negotiate with SZFE

Palkovics’ additional response also reveals that they do not wish to negotiate with SZFE students and staff, as the minister says it is an internal discussion.

“The internal debate must be resolved by highly respected professionals in the arts. With a statutory mandate, the board of directors can decide what is the right solution. The government’s intention remains for the university to function more freely, regardless of state, and for young people in the arts It is strange when SZFE students and teachers demand the minister responsible for Higher Education as a negotiating partner, as if they wanted to remain in the state reserve, they would not ask for freedom, Palkovics repeated the government’s equivalence.In fact, the basic documents signed by Attila Vidnyánszky, president of the Board of Trustees, deprived almost all the powers of the university’s decision-making body, the Senate, from the election of the rector to the start-up of the department, so the former leaders resigned. According to the former vice-rector of László Upor, the autonomy of the board of trustees increased, not that of the university.)

Palkovics: Teachers use students in ideological warfare

A Mandiner journalist also confronted the minister with reality: he pointed out that the SZFE would not negotiate to be placed on the state reserve, but because they believe that the government abolished the autonomy of the university.

However, Palkovich also gave the well-known government response to this: “This story is not really about university autonomy. Educators use students as a tool in a kind of ideological warfare, which is not right. I think they need to resolve this situation. ” (On behalf of the students, Hanna Milovits, president of the SZFE student government, also said about such allegations during Tuesday’s debate in the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament that “our teachers have never manipulated us to demonstrate for academic freedom. , a value much more universal than party politics.“)

“It is appropriate for people to have discussions. Instead of reserving a building, it would certainly be more beneficial for the students to study in a normal and quiet environment. The government, for its part, could contribute to this by doubling the SZFE’s previous support to HUF 3 billion gives operating costs and salary development ”, said the Minister of Innovation.