France’s President Macron is urging U.S. scientists to “choose Europe” following Trump’s political interference in scientific endeavors within the U.S.
President Trump is once again knee-deep in controversy, this time over his administration’s budget cuts to federal research agencies.
Scientists within the U.S are facing layoffs, and the EU is taking the opportunity to poach as many of them as it can.
Macron asks innovators to choose Europe for science
Speaking at the historic Sorbonne University in Paris on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged U.S.-based researchers facing growing restrictions under Donald Trump’s presidency to relocate to Europe.
Macron described Europe as a place where “freedom” and “free science” are valued by society. He stated that the continent is ready to welcome scientists fleeing from what he described as a “gigantic mistake” by the United States, referring to Trump undermining the American research community.
“No one could have thought that this great democracy, whose economic model relies so heavily on free science, innovation, and its ability over the past three decades to innovate more than the Europeans and to spread this innovation more widely, would make such a mistake,” he said. “If you love freedom, come and do research here.”
France intends to commit €100M ($113M) as part of its “France 2030” plan to reverse industrial decline and promote technological innovation.
Macron made his pitch during the “Choose Europe for Science” conference, where European Union leaders, scientists, and ministers from member states gathered to discuss their coordinated efforts to recruit talent from abroad, especially the United States.
France’s Ministry of Education launched an online platform to ease the relocation process for researchers focused on health, climate, biodiversity, decarbonization, and natural resources.
The online platform will be supported by a partnership between public institutions, local governments, and private-sector investors.
France aims to save €40B ($45.4B) in its next national budget, so the country is expecting some budget cuts. However, the Macron administration believes science recruitment is a long-term investment.
“This is about securing the future of European research,” Macron said.
The EU’s incentive package
The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen also joined France’s President Macron in condemning the Trump administration’s decisions to shut down university programs, impose immigration crackdowns, and cut funding for federal research agencies.
In her speech, von der Leyen announced an attractive €500M incentive package that will run from 2025 to 2027.
“This is not just about money,” she said. “It’s about values. Europe is a haven for free and open research. When those freedoms are questioned elsewhere, it becomes our responsibility to step up.”
The EU’s new incentives package will simplify visa entry processes, reduce bureaucracy, and provide financial support in a bid to poach high-caliber researchers especially those who are at presently out of work because of the Trump administration or just dissatisfied with recent developments.
During her address, von der Leyen highlighted the strength of Horizon Europe, the world’s largest international research program with a €93B funding pool.
“We are in a global race for innovation,” von der Leyen said. “And Europe will win—not by closing its borders, but by opening its doors.”
A March poll by Nature magazine, which had over 1,200 respondents, found that 75% of surveyed scientists were considering leaving the U.S.
Europe and Canada were the top destinations.
Not one to be left behind, Germany is also making efforts to recruit talent. Lars Klingbeil, the leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, said that Berlin is actively preparing campaigns to attract displaced researchers.
“We are going on the offensive to attract scientists who no longer feel comfortable in the USA under Trump,” he told Germany’s Funke Mediengruppe newspaper. “Germany must therefore proactively say to the affected researchers in the USA and elsewhere: Come to Germany, here is a safe haven for you and science.”
The Helmholtz Society, one of Germany’s top research networks, confirmed that it has been receiving a steady rise in inquiries from U.S.-based scientists seeking to relocate.
According to Sebastian Grote, who works as the head of communications at Helmholtz, the organization is monitoring the U.S. policy situation closely and has also received interest from researchers around the world who had initially intended to work in the U.S. but are now reconsidering.
Along with The Helmholtz Society, Switzerland’s ETH Zurich and other leading European institutions have similarly reported increased contact from scientists disillusioned with the current U.S. environment.
Yasmine Belkaid, the director of France’s renowned biomedical research hub Institut Pasteur, stated that there has been a surge in inquiries from researchers abroad.
“We get daily calls from European researchers based in the U.S. who want to return,” she told La Tribune Dimanche. “And from Americans who no longer feel they are able to do their research freely. We can say that’s a sad opportunity, but it’s still an opportunity.”
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