Researcher Claire Mathieu, director of research at the National Center for Scientific Research in Computer Science, resigned on December 21 from the Presidential Scientific Council, in response to Parliament’s approval, two days earlier, of the “immigration” bill. .
“In fact, if the far right had been in power instead of you, I would have refused to participate in this council. But the anti-immigration law is a far-right law, a law of xenophobia, exclusion and withdrawal.”justifies a member of the Institute for Research in Fundamental Computer Science (IRIF), in a letter addressed directly to Emmanuel Macron.
Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of the Presidential Science Council on December 7. This group consists of twelve members of the scientific community from different backgrounds, and must meet “At least once every quarter” For discussion with the head of state“Alarm malfunctions” Or highlight new topics and projects. Without its goal being to determine the French strategy, nor to express public opinion.
“Nothing is clear, but anything that can help bring science closer to society is worth taking.”Claire Mathieu, CNRS silver medalist and member of the Council for the Future, explained the launch time.
“France's interruption of research”
Two weeks later, the former project manager at the Ministry of Higher Education during the design of the Parkorsop (2017-2018) no longer considered herself ” able “ To continue with Mr. Macron ” conversation “ On the sciences targeted by this new body. “Focusing exclusively on science while maintaining a tight separation between science and politics, with the aim of bringing scientists and politicians together, has an absurd side.“, she concludes in her message. It was a mistake on my part to agree to be on this Council. »
Claire Mathieu is not the first scientist to strongly oppose the vote on the “immigration” bill, which specifically provides for a tightening of the conditions for granting social benefits to foreigners, and an end to the automaticity of the land or re-employment law. The crime of illegal residence. In the forum in worldThe President and Director General of the National Center for Scientific Research, Antoine Petit, warned of “ Degraded image » France which can result from the text, which “It's going to hurt[it] For all our international scientific cooperation » It will affect the country's attractiveness in terms of universities.
“Now it is already difficult for our young foreign researchers to solve their visa problemswas alerted on December 20 ADI Matthew on. Tomorrow it will be worse, so they will go to a more welcoming country. This would highlight France's decline in research. »
