Issue and Opponent: The Hungarian government signed an agreement with Shanghai-based Fudan University in April 2021, on building the campus at a site in Budapest where a dormitory village for Hungarian students had previously been planned, called Student City. Liberal opponents of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban accuse him of cozying up to China and fear the campus could undercut the quality of higher education and help Beijing increase its influence in Hungary and the European Union. Opposition politicians and economists have criticized what they say will be the high costs of the project and a lack of transparency.
Dilemma Action: In June 2021, to protest the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the use of Hungarian Government funds for the construction of the Fudan University campus, activists renamed several public areas at the planned location: “the Dalai Lama Road,” “the Path of the Uyghur Martyrs,” “the Free Hong Kong Road,” and “Bishop Xi Si-kuang Road,” all of which would be illegal in an area controlled by China, and directly challenges the targets to either take down the signs and ignore the issues or follow through with the project and keep the signs for all to see. The Mayor of Budapest, coming from the opposition party and opposing the University plans, took official steps to rename the streets.
Outcome: The Hungarian government responded to these accusations by saying that Fudan and the Student City project do not conflict with each other and that if the Chinese want to spy on Hungary, they do not need a university. Later Orban delayed a decision on the building, thus granting protesters a small victory. Opinion polls showed a majority of Budapest residents opposed the plan.