World News
Head of MCC Brussels Frank Furedi resigns over unpaid wages
The executive director announced his immediate departure after funding dried up following the Hungarian election.
The short version
- Frank Furedi has resigned with immediate effect as executive director of the Brussels-based think tank MCC Brussels, citing unpaid wages.
- A spokesperson confirmed that none of the think tank's staff in Brussels have been paid for July or August.
- The organization's financial crisis follows an April election victory in Hungary by Péter Magyar, who pledged to cut state funding for the parent foundation in Budapest.
Key facts
- Frank Furedi resigned on Monday, stating that MCC Brussels has effectively ceased operations and cannot pay suppliers or meet Belgian insolvency law requirements due to a lack of contracted funds.[The Guardian]
- An MCC Brussels spokesperson confirmed that no staff in the EU capital received pay for July or August.[The Guardian]
- MCC Brussels has been reduced to 12 staff and three research fellows, down from 25 people prior to layoffs in June and July.[The Guardian]
- The think tank's parent organization is the Mathias Corvinus Collegium Foundation in Budapest, which previously received substantial funding under Viktor Orbán's Hungarian government.[The Guardian]
- Péter Magyar, who won an election victory in Hungary in April, promised to halt state funding to the Budapest parent organization and investigate its acquisition of state assets.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Furedi did not elaborate on his specific future plans, though he stated he intends to continue the intellectual legacy of the institution in another form.[The Guardian]
Sources
- Head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite thinktank quits over unpaid wagesThe Guardian - World