The shadow of communism in European higher education: past, present, or future?

Universities in Eastern and Central Europe seemed to be on a one-way street towards becoming liberal and democratic institutions in the European Union (EU) member countries joining in the 2000s. The Bologna process and the internationalization of labor markets and the European recognition of skills were indicators that convergence at university level had almost been reached. Nonetheless, the political conflict involving the Central and Eastern European University in Budapest in 2020 and its forced relocation to Austria was an indication that this may not have been entirely true. But to which extent has this been a unique development in the region? Have such processes taken place elsewhere in the post-communist space as well? This paper enquires about the processes that could be underlying this politicization of education in former communist countries. Illiberal parties and their influence on education have already been documented in Hungary and Poland. Romania seemed to have escaped the wave, but this is no longer the case either, since AUR has entered parliament. The paper proposes to analyze the education market and to propose a theoretical approach for conceptualizing the illiberal influences in contemporary higher education in former communist countries. It will be of interest to scholars of skill formation and to those with an interest in authoritarian and post-authoritarian contexts.