How political decisions impacted academic freedom and higher education's autonomy in Europe in 2026

The first half of 2026 has been marked by political decisions affecting academic freedom and the autonomy of higher education institutions in several European countries.

In Belarus, authorities carried out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), which has been in exile in Lithuania since 2005. EHU was labelled by the Supreme Court of Belarus as an “extremist organisation” in April 2026.

Lukashenko’s government justified the decision by saying EHU was being used by the intelligence services of neighbouring countries to "harm the interests of Belarus" and "promote alternative interpretations" of historical and cultural events. The authorities "have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated and detained them", Human Rights Watch said.

In Türkiye, President Erdoğan tried to close Istanbul Bilgi University on 22/04, only to allow it to reopen after three days of protests, led by students, and a police crackdown. The private institution was closed by presidential decree…