How will the latest European Elections affect European R&D?
Once the ballots of the European election 2019 were counted, the scientific community had mixed feelings about the outcome. It is generally concerned about the impact on research and development budgets after the established parties, EPP and S&D, faced the biggest losses, while science sceptical populist parties, green and liberal factions gained the most seats in the European Parliament.
The 2019 European elections have left a bittersweet taste in the scientific population, although less bitter than expected. A few weeks ago, bookmakers predicted an increase in the vote for populism, whose approach is usually thought to be far from the scientific evidence and obstructing academic freedom. However, the final scrutiny has shown the loss of supporters of the centre-left (S&D) and centre-right (EPP) majority parties. But what is the reason behind the crash of the traditional vote? Mainly the movement of supporters from the traditional parties in the European Parliament to the Eurosceptics, Greens and Liberals.
How does this affect investment in R&D?
Populist parties have largely increased in proportion. They are more likely to be opposed to science agreements with nations outside the EU, which currently play a key role. Especially Norway, Switzerland and Israel partner with the European Union to improve research. The loss of the majority of EPP and S&D represents the opportunity for new parties to have more power in deciding how much is invested in scientific research, opening the door to possible rivalries and stubbornly adopting large packages of legislation. A good example is the Horizon Europe R&D programme (2021 to 2027), for which before the Parliament was dissolved in April, the negotiators had already signed the general guidelines of the new research programme, leaving in limbo how much money is to be invested in it: Will it be the EUR 120 billion proposed by Parliament in the last vote? Maybe the EUR 94.1 billion from the Commission? Or the EUR 77 billion from the previous programme? The scientific community does not know the answer.
The Green Wave
The Commission’s strategy so far has focused on increasing scientific funding, making cuts in regional and agricultural funds, giving rise to complaints from environmental parties. Before the elections, EU Budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger proposed allocating EUR 10 billion for food, agricultural, ocean and bio-economic research and innovation within Horizon Europe. However, there are still fears that Green MEPs will be “supportive but also an obstacle in research,” and might insist on the reallocation of funds in favour of climate change, given recent statements such as “Technology is not always the answer”.
Nevertheless, many key figures have won re-election: Jerzy Buzek, current chair of the committee that handles Horizon Europe and Portugal’s Maria da Graça Carvalho, one of its lead drafters; key legislators such as Germany’s Christian Ehler, and Dan Nica of Romania.
Eventually, the outcome on the budget and the corresponding funding for research activity is yet to be known. The upset in the elections and the differing priorities of the big winners will have an impact and compromises will have to be made.
