A report published on September 17 by the Terra Nova think tank raises concerns about the risk of political influence over scientific research in France. The report highlights how the country’s centralized structure of higher education and research, along with the executive branch’s increasing control over researchers, could enable an authoritarian government to shape scientific outcomes to fit political goals. Most funding for universities and research institutions comes from public subsidies, which are annually reviewed and controlled by the government, making the process less transparent than in other European countries. The multiannual programming law, designed to provide long-term financial stability for research, has not been followed since 2025 and has been even more neglected since its implementation in 2021, especially when accounting for inflation. The National Research Agency (ANR), a key funder of research projects, also lacks true independence, as its strategic direction is influenced by government ministries that sit on its board of directors. The President of France has the authority to appoint heads of major scientific institutions, many of whom will be reappointed during the next five-year term. These include the head of the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) and the head of Cnes (National Center for Space Studies). Rectors, also appointed by the government, control student enrollment and quotas for high school graduates from various regions, potentially allowing manipulation of research fields and student populations. The report warns that a government opposed to certain scientific disciplines, such as environmental science or sociology, could reduce funding or shut down programs in those areas. The report also points to the National Rally (RN), a French political party, which has shown hostility toward scientific fields that contradict its ideological views. Some of its members have expressed climate skepticism, made sexist remarks about sociology, and proposed limiting the number of foreign students. The party has also pushed to abolish agencies such as the National Forest Office and Ademe, which could signal a move toward an anti-science policy similar to that seen in the United States under former President Donald Trump. Other experts, like Boris Gralak from CNRS, have voiced similar concerns about government control over research. He notes the growing use of "restricted regime zones" (ZRR) in laboratories, where access to sensitive or strategic research is controlled by the government. Élodie Vercken, an ecologist at Inrae, argues that current funding practices already favor certain research areas, such as artificial intelligence, over others, like "low tech." She calls for a shift to permanent research funding, which she believes would reduce the pressure on researchers who currently rely on competitive, project-based grants.