Sciences Po Bordeaux was shut down and blocked off by a student movement for two weeks in February and March to protest against extensive cuts in the French government budget and its existing ties with Israel. The university’s academic chair of defence, who has links with companies supplying arms to the IDF, became a central campaign of the demonstration. During the protest, classes took place through Zoom and attendance was not taken. Even though the university is not entirely publicly funded, its students felt the need to protest. Protests of this nature are commonplace in universities all over France.
One month on, I interviewed twelve French and Erasmus students at Sciences Po Bordeaux to gauge their reactions to recent government cuts and the campus blockage.
One student, Bader Daraa, was adamant in describing the political background of this moment. He explained that the French state is in significant debt due to the COVID pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the spending that ensued. He expressed that this played into the mind of voters during the European elections of June last year, when the right-wing party of Marine Le Pen, the Rassemblement National (RN), won most of the French seats in the European parliament. However, this student told me “It’s the politics of Macron” which has caused these large budget cuts. A dissolution of parliament and a general election was called by the French president Emmanuel Macron in which the Left-wing alliance won the majority of seats. Macron’s party, En Marche, came second and the centre right and right-wing parties such as RN and Les Républicains came in third place. He tells me that a lot of people in the country are angry and disillusioned that President Macron has decided to form a government of right-wing and centre parties (Les Républicains and En Marche) even though the alliance of left-wing parties won most of the seats. This has left France in a relatively fragmented state, having had two Prime Ministers serve since the general election due to the fragmentation of the French parliament, serving under a system where neither of them has a majority of seats. He went on to say that President Macron enabled France’s current Prime Minister, Francois Bayrou of Les Républicains, to use a special constitutional power, article 49.3 (allowing legislation to be passed without a parliamentary majority), to pass the February budget to reduce university and culture spending, without the vote of the parliament.
The French government has decided to cut university research funding by 630 million Euro. Bader tells me that this move will affect social sciences departments the most. As many expect an increase in students seeking third level education next year, he tells me that “This will mean more and more applicants for fewer university places.”
“It will mean fewer classes, fewer PhD places in social sciences and increased selectivity.”
Another student, Lucas, told me that a government grant which French students receive when they are eighteen to spend on cultural events and amenities has been cut from 300 euro to 100 euro. Money that often goes towards basic necessities such as books.
In comparison to Ireland, France provides all third-level students with subsidised cafeteria lunches and student accommodation units. One student, Morgane, was concerned that this may not continue. She told me that, “These initiatives were brought in by centre and left-wing governments and parties” and not by centre right governments such as the current French government.
I have been told time and time again by the students of Science Po Bordeaux that it is extremely important to protest so that this situation does not regress further. The majority of the students I interviewed were in favour of the campus blockage despite the sympathies of some students with Macron’s government’s need to increase defence spending.
I asked students about whether the blockade was successful, and many told me that it was indeed successful. Sciences Po removed the academic chair of defence from the board and students became more aware of the issues facing the university and cultural sectors and on Israel-Palestine. Most students argued that blocking a building is a good way to protest because it “annoys the tyranny” and it brings people together in solidarity. Although some people told me that while one student protest is not going to change the law, it does encourage more people to vote, which is important as there is a low voting turnout amongst young people in France. Those particularly involved in the blockage told me that there needs to be more people involved in student protests and that each different form of protest has its value.
I interviewed two girls, who did not want to publish their names, who took part in the blockade. They believe that it is important to fight against a rising far right in France and to support Palestine. I spoke to one student, Armin, who was a DJ at the blockage to help garner support. Half of the people I interviewed attended special meetings of the student’s union general assembly so that they could either vote on issues or have their voices heard. For this reason, I received a lot of indications that the protest was quite democratic and supported by many students. However, Morgane and an Italian student, Beatrice, raised the point that, although the decisions of the blockage were taken democratically amongst students, it did prevent students from partaking fully in their education, which angered students who did not agree with the protest. Two Erasmus students, Maja and Ina from Sweden, found the blockade educational although they were not fully aware of its Palestine element, for example, and they found that it was poorly advertised to them.
When I asked about whether the blockage was accessible to everyone, I received mixed opinions. Some students told me that it was difficult to fully take part as it involved camping in tents overnight on campus, too much time and some people were scared of being reprimanded by authorities. Others believed that it was too political in nature and that some movements involved were extremist. However, most students agreed that a protest “must be political,” as the student, Maxime, told me.
When I asked people why cultural and education funding is so important in society, many argued that a free and independent cultural and education sector provides to people the possibility to express an alternative voice, which leads to less polarisation in society and creates more diversity in the world which is absolutely necessary for a functioning democracy.
André Malraux- <<il faut reconnaître en la littérature le pouvoir qu’elle a de déranger, d’inquiéter, d’éveiller>> 1967
It is important to recognise that through literature one has the power to derange, worry and wake people up.
*Some interviews were carried out in French and were translated to the best of my ability in order to ensure their full meaning was conveyed.
*I interviewed 12 French and Erasmus students. Some students were comfortable with providing their names for the article however other students preferred to stay anonymous.
