“We, presidents of universities in the Greater West, are warning of the serious threats that the 2025 finance bill poses to young people.
In recent years, universities have already contributed to the very significant efforts required by the country's economic situation, in particular by absorbing the additional costs linked to salary measures which are certainly justified, but imposed by the State and not financed. They are also hit hard by inflation and increases in energy prices. The new additional costs provided for by the 2025 finance bill, of an unprecedented scale, will place a large majority of universities in deficit this year. They will no longer be in a position to ensure study and research conditions worthy of the ambition displayed by the State.
Although universities have already sounded the alarm, the government persists in significantly increasing university expenses in 2025, by deciding to increase their contribution to retirement contributions (the “CAS pensions”). This new burden can only significantly worsen the budgetary situation of establishments and degrade their operation as well as their investment capacity, to the detriment of the proper implementation of their training, research and innovation missions, to the detriment of the general interest. Certain establishments are therefore threatened with cessation of payments by the end of 2025.
We call on our leaders to support their universities. The obligation to apply these drastic budget cuts will irremediably lead to the decline of our higher education and research system, and ultimately, to its decline internationally. It will also mark the weakening of its territorial network, to the detriment of students and the democratization of higher education.
Possible sector closures?
In line with the strong ambitions displayed by the State in terms of higher education and research, ambitions reaffirmed by the President of the Republic on November 13 and the Minister of Higher Education and Research on November 19, during the presentation of its roadmap “in the service of our prosperity and our sovereignty”, we ask the State in order of priority:
– CAS pension compensation for universities and schools (€180 million)
– compensation for the cost of the Guérini measures (€140 million);
– the upward readjustment of the 2025 march of the research programming law.
We cannot sacrifice the future for the present. There is still time to mobilize the essential means to serve young people to respond to the challenges of training, research and innovation and together meet the challenges posed to our societies.
Without immediate measures, a large number of universities could refuse to participate in the Parcoursup and Find My Master process (from the vote on reception capacities to the convening of the file examination committees) and some of them could be led to announce, to their great regret, the closure of delocalized university courses or sites from the start of the 2025 academic year.”
Lamri Adoui is president of Caen Normandy University;David Alis president of the University of Rennes; Carine Bernault, president of Nantes University;Virginie Dupont president of the University of Bretagne Sud;Vincent Gouëset president of Rennes 2 University;Pascal Leroux president of Le Mans University;Pascal Olivard president of the University of Western Brittany;Laurent One president of the University of Rouen Normandy;Pedro Lages Dos Santos
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