Under glittering chandeliers in a neoclassical ballroom, guests gathered for a conference marking 250 years of American independence, hosted by Viktor Orbán's favored think tank in Brussels.
But beneath the glitz, MCC Brussels' future is in doubt.
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The think tank, which has co-sponsored events with Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman, faces an urgent cash crunch after Orbán's political ousting in April.
New Prime Minister Péter Magyar has said the state will no longer finance conservative organizations including the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) and its affiliates.
Funding Crisis and Survival Plans
MCC Brussels launched in November 2022 as an offshoot of its parent institute in Budapest.
It declared €6.37 million in annual funding in 2024 from MCC Budapest, making it one of the best-funded think tanks in the EU capital.
Director Frank Furedi said the think tank would need alternative funding from September. "No matter what, we'll continue in some shape or form," he said.
He acknowledged potential changes, including a shift to a more online presence if donors do not step forward.
Furedi rejected the narrative from Budapest questioning the legal status of the parent organization's endowment, calling it "bullshit."
He maintained that the organization's records have always been transparent.
He argued that the new government is "entitled" to control public funding but not to "close down an institution that is doing good work."
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