
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has moved to dismantle key institutions tied to his predecessor Viktor Orbán, stripping state funding from the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) and seizing assets from multiple foundations established under Orbán’s rule.
Magyar announced the withdrawal of state support for MCC, a once state-backed think tank that expanded under Orbán into a network of research institutes, a publishing house, and media outlets, often promoting illiberal and right-wing views. The MCC, which hosted high-profile figures like Germany’s AfD leader Alice Weidel at its annual “MCC Feszt” conference, lost its legal special status and state assets by the end of August, Magyar said. Only programs deemed beneficial to Hungary will continue, while others must secure alternative funding.
The crackdown extends to other Orbán-era foundations, including the Lajos-Batthyány-Stiftung and the “Blauer Planet” climate protection foundation, all structured as “public benefit asset management foundations.” Magyar stressed the measures do not amount to a ban on their operations, but MCC Brussels, the think tank’s Brussels branch, confirmed it would shut down after losing state funds. Its director, Frank Furedi, resigned in protest and told Euronews the office was “at an end” without government backing.
The Hungarian government has also liquidated around 30 Fidesz-linked foundations, reclaiming over €8 billion in assets and returning 21 universities to state control, according to Mediapart. MCC leadership had previously stated they were working “constructively” with the new government to transition talent programs into a new organizational form.
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