Statement of the National Youth Council Association
Budapest, 12 September 2024 – This week, one of the largest events of the Hungarian EU presidency, the EU Youth Conference, took place in Budapest, where nearly 250 delegates and leaders of youth organizations from EU countries convened. During the conference, the Erasmus issue was also discussed, specifically the Hungarian proposal to resolve the matter, which has not
received a response from the European Commission since November 2023. The National
Youth Council now calls on the European Commission not to delay any further, as it is in the
interest of all Hungarian students that the matter is resolved by the end of the year. We also
urge Hungarian government representatives to do everything possible to ensure a reassuring
resolution of the situation.
,,We, the youth of today’s Europe, take the benefits of the Union for granted, but we must
remember that these rights are not self-evident. The Schengen Area and Erasmus+ programs
build bridges between countries and strengthen a shared European identity. To ensure their
preservation, the National Youth Council has gathered thousands of young people’s signatures
to prevent Hungarian higher education institutions from being excluded from the Erasmus+
program. Erasmus+ must not become a tool for political games, and students should not
become victims of political struggles,” emphasized Péter Kovács, President of the National
Youth Council, during the event’s opening remarks.
As is well known, following the December 2022 decision of the European Council, which
represents the EU member states, the European Commission decided to exclude Hungarian
universities undergoing a model change from the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs.
As a result of this measure, 182,000 students, including 30,000 international students, are
being deprived of the opportunity to gain international experience through these programs.
In April 2023, the National Youth Council started a petition to ensure that students from
universities undergoing the model change could continue participating in the Erasmus+ higher
education mobility program. As part of this effort, more than 2,000 affected individuals
voiced their opinions, calling on the institutions of the European Union to lift the restrictions
and restore their participation in the program. To convey the concerns of university members,
the National Youth Council, together with the National Union of Students in Hungary
(HÖOK), the Association of Hungarian PhD and DLA Students (DOSZ), and the National
Association of Higher Education Dormitories (FEKOSZ), submitted a joint petition to the
European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions. In September 2023, the committee
unanimously decided to keep the petition open and requested a response from the European
Commission.
The Hungarian National Youth Council actively participated in the work of the European
Steering Committee, which coordinated the youth policy events of the Belgian-Spanish-
Hungarian European Presidency Trio, and played a co-organizing role in the EU Youth
Conference.
During the 18-month presidency cycle, which focused on the 11 European Youth Goals, the
theme of Inclusive Societies was addressed. By mutual agreement among the partners, the
conference held in Hungary concentrated on improving opportunities for rural youth and the
future of the EU Youth Dialogue’s mechanisms. Within the framework of the gathering,
young people made recommendations concerning the demographic, mobility, and
employment situations of rural youth. The working groups also discussed the status of the
Erasmus+ Program, which provides significant opportunities for less advantaged youth. The
goal of the National Youth Council was to ensure that as many delegates as possible were
made aware that, starting from autumn 2024, Hungarian youth will not be able to participate
in the Erasmus+ program.
Press contact:
Johanna Incze
National Youth Council
johanna.incze@ifjusagitanacs.hu
+36 30 496-8935
About the National Youth Council:
The National Youth Council is a democratically organised, independent, open umbrella organisation, modelled on the European Union, whose task is to represent the interests of Hungarian youth and youth-related NGOs. Its primary objectives are to shape and develop youth policy, to address and communicate issues affecting public life, to mentor young people, to build community and to act as a strong and united voice for youth in government.
NIT represents Hungarian youth at European and global level and channels their views into national and international decision-making processes. The establishment of the organisation has paved the way for the international representation of young people in Hungary, as well as for joining the European Youth Forum. The National Youth Council was established in 2012 and currently has more than 100 member organisations.
