Rózsa Hoffmann’s first two higher education plans disappointed major figures in the governing party, the Prime Minister among them. Now the leaked information from her third plans threatens to inflame major portions of the higher education community as well. While Hoffmann and/or Fidesz are right that far-reaching changes are necessary in a system that is both inefficient and costly, for the moment the publicly disseminated portions of its approach raise crucial doubts. The foremost question is what the government plans to do with the masses of youth who have no place in its plans for the education system.

For months now, Rózsa Hoffmann has been fighting uphill battles against various senior figures in Fidesz and the Orbán-government. Her improbable political survival is in itself testament of her tenacity and political skills. The KDNP politician first fought Fidesz’ primary point-man on education, former minister of education Zoltán Pokorni, about her various reform plans. Pokorni thought her too much of a conservative, a traditionalist out of touch with the needs of a modern education system.

Policy Solutions' analysis on Rózsa Hoffmann's higher education reform plans can be downloaded from here.

Then she entered what appears a losing battle with Minister of the National Economy György Matolcsy, who also manages the exchequer. Matolcsy wants to enforce a strict line of austerity in education as well, while rumours say (or rather used to say) Hoffmann is heroically trying to resist the imposition of budgetary imperatives on education.