500 million to attract researchers "threatened" by Trump to Europe

ParisIn front of The threat to science posed by Donald Trump's arrival at the White House –with cuts to funding for scientific projects and censorship of certain lines of research–, Europe is taking a step forward to attract American scientists affected by the policies of the US president. The European Commission announced this Monday a new investment of 500 million euros for the period 2025-27 to make Europe "a pole of attraction" for researchers from around the world.

This money "will allow us to support the best and brightest researchers and scientists from Europe and around the world," stressed the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The historic Sorbonne University in Paris hosted an event this Monday, Choose Europe for science [Choose Europe for Science], promoted by Brussels and French President Emmanuel Macron, to convince non-EU scientists to move to Europe to work. The extraordinary funding will be accompanied by other measures to facilitate the arrival of researchers, such as an acceleration of bureaucratic processes for entering Europe and obtaining a residence permit.

"If you love freedom, come help us stay free, do your research here," Macron said, addressing American researchers. The French head of state defended a "free and open" science that would allow "threatened" US researchers to join European projects and appealed to the example of the Polish-born French scientist Marie Curie, who moved to France when women were not allowed to attend university in Poland and studied at the Sorbonne in 1903. "Her example is admirable, but there will be many more Marie Curies," Macron asserted.

In his speech, the President of the French Republic was very critical of Trump's censorship of science: "No one would have imagined a few years ago that one of the world's leading democracies would suppress research programs because the word 'science' was written on it. diversity", he lamented. "The unthinkable is at the heart of current events," Macron admitted.

Error of judgment

Von der Leyen made no direct mention of Trump or American researchers, but her speech was full of implicit references to the situation in the United States. "The role of science is currently being questioned. So is investment in fundamental, free, and open research. What a greater error of judgment," lamented the president of the European Commission. "Now more than ever, we must defend science. A universal science, shared by all humanity and unifying," proclaimed Von der Leyen.

Brussels is also considering legislating against censorship in the scientific field, to prevent governments in Europe from following Trump's example. According to Von der Leyen, the idea is to enshrine the freedom of scientific research in European law. "Because in the face of increasing threats around the world, Europe will not compromise on its principles. Europe must remain the homeland of academic and scientific freedom," the EC president emphasized.

In Europe, the sector is skeptical of the initiative, especially because the research sector has lower salaries than those in the United States and a high percentage of precarious contracts. In France, the European and French initiative—Macron has also announced a €100 million investment—has not been well received by unions. According to Le MondeUnion sources described the project as "shocking" and "indecent" and denounced "almost incessant attacks on academic freedom" in the country and "chronic underfunding" of the sector. Macron promised this Monday that "no foreign researcher will replace a French researcher."

Spanish program

Spain has also recently launched A €45 million program to recruit American researchers "despised" by Trump, along the same lines as the European project. The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, however, did not participate in the Paris conference this Monday nor in the informal meeting of research ministers that will take place after the Sorbonne event. The Spanish government has sent the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa. "Spain has already begun this process" to attract American researchers, the ministry's deputy stressed. Catalonia has also launched its own plan to attract around eighty scientists. In fact, Joan Guardia, rector of the University of Barcelona (UB), was also present at Monday's event. This institution could host some of the researchers who choose Catalonia as their new research destination.