by BARBARA CASASSUS
French Higher Education and Research Minister Geneviève Fioraso had something to smile about as she briefed reporters the day before the government unveiled its 2013 austerity budget on 28 September. Hers was one of the few ministries to escape spending cuts as socialist President François Hollande and his team strive to honour their commitment to slash the deficit from 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 3% next year.
Instead of pruning spending by 3.5% as ministers had been instructed, Fioraso managed to negotiate a 2.2% spending increase to give a 2013 budget for her ministry of just under €23 billion (US$29 billion), or €26 billion if contributions from other ministries are included. This was even more than the increase given to schools, which were one of the three priorities touted by Hollande in his election campaign earlier this year.
Fioraso says she believes that greater awareness of the role of training and qualifications in reducing unemployment triggered the turnaround. The budget boost comes after the number of jobless in France again surpassed 3 million in August.
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Although the budget is pointing in the right direction, it does not go far enough to offset the “catastrophe” of former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s five years in power, says Henri Audier, board member of the researchers’ union SNCS-FSU. To have any noticeable impact, the basic-research institutes would need between €100 million and €150 million instead of €60 million, he says. And the extra €29 million for ESA is hardly sufficient, considering France’s outstanding debt of €410 million to the agency, he adds.
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