EP report says academic freedom has dropped "significantly" in eight EU member states

The latest edition of the European Parliament's Academic Freedom Monitor 2025 says that there has been a statistically significant decline in the degree of academic freedom in eight EU member states between 2014 and 2024.

The report, which was prepared at the request of the EP's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), found that there has been a significant decline in scores measured by the Academic Freedom Index in Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal. There was a deterioration in 16 member states, according to the report.

The two dimensions of academic freedom under the greatest pressure identified in the EU were:
• Freedom to teach and conduct research;
• Institutional autonomy.

However, when assessed in a global context, the state of academic freedom in the EU remained comparatively strong and broadly stable. The monitor nevertheless stressed the need to prevent any further erosion within the EU.

Moreover, as respect for academic freedom declines in many parts of the world, including in the US, the monitor said that the EU had…