Austerity Budget for 2026: A Blow to Education, Research, and Students
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On Tuesday, October 14th, the government presented it’s 2026 finance and social security bills. This is an austerity budget that will disproportionately impact workers, notably public sector employees, those in precarious situations, and the sick. It’s a budget that will exacerbate inequality, injustice, and poverty, and once again turns its back on the urgent need for fiscal, social, and environmental justice.
Despite their claims,the government and ministry are once again targeting Higher Education and Research,impacting both staff and students. While the minister officially highlights an additional €600 million for the entire interministerial mission of Higher Education and Research, this funding is primarily directed towards military, industrial, and space programs. For the programs specifically within the ministerial scope – “Higher Education and University Research,” “Student Life,” and “Pluridisciplinary Scientific and technological Research” – the reality is starkly different. The “increase” across these three programs totals only €175 million,representing a growth of just +0.64%. Considering the estimated inflation rate of 1.3% for 2026, this sum effectively represents a budget cut in real terms.
This will be further compounded by the cost of announced measures that will be either unfunded or only partially funded, such as the increased levy from the Special Affection Account Pension. The additional €44 million announced for the “Pluridisciplinary Scientific and Technological Research” program, which includes all Public Scientific and Technological Establishments (EPSTs), would barely cover the cost of this measure for the CNRS alone! Consequently, Higher Education and Research institutions will largely have to draw on their operating funds to finance the human resources measures outlined in the Research Programming Law, which the Ministry claims to have safeguarded.
For students, this budget pushes them further into precarity.With a reduction of €25.6 million in credits, the government is choosing widespread precarity, forcing students to rely on food banks – a now commonplace reality on campuses. The government is also prioritizing national preference by denying Housing Assistance (APL) to nearly 300,000 foreign students, raising fears of mass impoverishment and dramatic consequences regarding access to housing.
SUD éducation and SUD Recherche met with Minister Philippe Baptiste this Monday, October 20th.
French University Staff Urged to Strike Over Budget Cuts
The French unions SUD éducation and SUD Recherche are calling on staff in higher education and research (ESR) to intensify pressure on the government through continued action, including organizing general assemblies and strikes, to protest budget cuts.The unions argue these cuts threaten the quality and accessibility of education and research.
Concerns Over Budgetary Degringolade
The call to action comes amid concerns over what the unions describe as a continuing decline in funding for higher education and research, as illustrated in a graphic released by SUD éducation (https://www.sudeducation.org/). the unions state that these cuts represent a threat to the well-being of staff and the future of the French academic system.
Call for Unified Action
SUD éducation and SUD Recherche emphasize the importance of unity and collective action to influence the government. They specifically advocate for:
* maintaining pressure through actions within institutions: This suggests ongoing protests, demonstrations, and disruptions within universities and research facilities.
* Organizing general assemblies: These meetings are intended to facilitate discussion and strategizing among staff regarding effective methods to challenge the government’s policies.
* Strikes: The unions view strikes as a crucial tool to demonstrate the strength of opposition and force the government to reconsider its budgetary decisions.
“No Economies on Our Lives!”
the unions’ slogan, “Pas d’économies sur nos vies!” (“No economies on our lives!”), underscores their argument that budget cuts directly impact the well-being of those working in and benefiting from the higher education and research sectors.
This data is based on the provided text and the SUD éducation website as of November 21, 2023. further details on specific budget figures and government responses would require additional research from official sources like the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.