The Fourth Amendment to the Fundamental Law of Hungary, together with the subsequent passing of, and the successive amendments made to, the National Higher Education Act have not only restructured the management of higher education institutions but have also introduced legal institutions (Chancellor, Consistorium), which intervene both directly, in terms of fiscal policy, and indirectly, in terms of educational and research policies, in their overall operation and – as these are essentially government appointed persons/bodies, the institutions themselves being left out of the process – their autonomy as well. While this radical reorganization is not without precedent, the possible reasons behind its implementation have not yet been revealed. This study aims to understand these reasons by analyzing and disputing the one and only monograph addressing the question published before these changes had taken place, and attempts to discuss its predictions from the present viewpoint.