http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/1569027e117e47b5 https://verfassungsblog.de/castles-of-illiberal-thought/ Castles of Illiberal Thought - The Rise and Role of Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations in Academic Contexts Hanelt, Etienne eng 2025-10-15 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Academic Freedom Freedom of research Hungary Viktor Orbán Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 On the hills of Buda, a vast new campus for Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) – an Orbán-linked “think tank” and training ground for illiberal elites – is taking shape. Though still little known internationally, MCC has grown into a sprawling network with over 35 locations across Hungary, the wider Carpathian Basin, and even Brussels. Its recent “report” attacking the EU’s Jean Monnet programme and individual academics as “propagandists” signals how it seeks to shape narratives about Europe and academia. Positioned at the intersection of authoritarian legitimation and elite co-optation, MCC is not just a Hungarian phenomenon – it is a challenge to academic freedom with broader European implications.