Between Ruin Bars and Right-Wing Shift, Erasmus in Eastern Europe
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
Barcelona, Paris or Amsterdam have been popular and classic Erasmus destinations for years, but increasingly more students are now drawn to Eastern Europe. On the "Country Factsheets" of the official Erasmus+ website, you can see that countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechia or Bulgaria have experienced an increase in "incoming" students – those spending their Erasmus semester there – over the past decades and particularly since Corona. Cities like Prague, Kraków or Budapest appear increasingly frequently in Erasmus rankings and on social media feeds as alternatives to the classics. But what is the reason for this and what is often overlooked in the process?
The most obvious reason for the popularity of Eastern European destinations is the comparatively low cost of living. Rent, public transport, groceries, food and going out are significantly cheaper in many Eastern European cities than in Western European ones. For students, this means: the Erasmus grant actually suffices to finance everyday life completely, making it possible even without additional financial support.
In addition, many universities and higher education institutions have deliberately invested in their international orientation in recent years and decades. Particularly since the EU accession of many of these countries, the higher education sector has been modernised significantly and adapted to European standards; there are well-developed international offices, many English-language courses and intensive support.
The cultural offering that many Eastern European cities can provide also plays a role. Historic old towns, vibrant art, culture and festival scenes and student-dominated neighbourhoods make the cities attractive, in addition to their central location in Europe. Many other affordable countries are quickly accessible. This extends the Erasmus stay beyond the host country itself.
On social media, these cities are additionally presented as a kind of insider tip, more authentic and "less touristy" than other Erasmus hotspots.
What is often absent from many of these narratives and videos, however, is the political situation in some Eastern European countries.
This becomes particularly clear with the example of Hungary. For years, the country has faced criticism, and this is due to restrictions on the rule of law, media freedom and the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is pursuing an increasingly authoritarian and nationalist course that also has clear effects on universities and society.
Nevertheless, politics seems to play hardly any role in the everyday Erasmus life of many students in Hungary. Studies take place in English, social relationships are limited to other Erasmus students and there is usually no contact with the local population. An Erasmus "bubble" emerges in which political conflicts are known and understood, but are not part of one's own experiences or at least are not perceived as such.
Can one afford to remain politically neutral in a temporally clearly limited exceptional situation such as Erasmus?
Precisely because the stay in the other country is only temporary, many students understand it primarily as a personal experience. For half a year, new impressions, friendships and simply a different everyday life take centre stage. Engaging intensively with political structures, restrictions on press freedom or social conflicts in the host country is overwhelming or not a priority. This does not necessarily mean indifference, but perhaps also self-protection, pure convenience or the desire to experience this limited time as carefree as possible.
The ability to overlook political tensions is in any case also a major privilege, one that many use. Between low cost of living, international campus life and social tensions, a field of tension emerges in which Erasmus students move, consciously or unconsciously.
Whether one confronts this or overlooks parts of it ultimately remains an individual decision. But: Erasmus does not take place in a vacuum "bubble" and European exchange perhaps begins precisely where one is willing to question one's own comfort zone.