Introducing the requirement would have created serious difficulties in some areas of study, such as agriculture, Gulyás told a regular press briefing.

He added that the National Union of Students in Hungary (HÖOK), the network of Roma colleges and the language teachers association had asked for the requirement to be scrapped.

On another topic, Gulyás said the government had raised funding for health insurance by over 34 billion forints (EUR 102.5m), mainly to make certain health-care treatments, such as products for treating breast or lung cancer, more accessible.

MTI Photo: Marjai János