France Slashes €904M from Research Budget, Breaking Spending Pledge

• €904 million cut from France's research and higher education budget as part of €10 billion public spending reduction • National research agencies like CNRS, Inserm, Inria, and INRAE face €383 million cut • Cuts equal about 5% of planned 2024 state research budget, breaking government's 2021-2030 research plan • Scientists criticize cuts as "incomprehensible and unacceptable," contradicting goal to increase research spending • Ministry says cuts target reserves, equipment purchases, renovations; aim to preserve lab resources and salaries