The Modem MP from Morbihan, Jimmy Pahun, shares the concerns of the Ambassador for the Poles regarding the risk of the collapse of the Paul-Émile Victor Polar Institute based in Plouzané due to budget constraints and rising costs.
Is French research on the poles going to become a collateral victim of budget cuts? This is the alarm raised by the Ambassador for the Poles, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, and more than 80 scientists and parliamentarians in a report that will be presented in June.
This concern is shared by Jimmy Pahun, the Modem MP from Morbihan and co-chair of the Parliamentary Polar Study Group. He specifically highlights the complexity and cost of logistics to supply bases such as Dumont d’Urville: « Even the smallest item, like a can of peas or screws, takes two years to arrive. » The base is aging and needs to be rebuilt, including the construction of a dock.
A scientific, geopolitical, and symbolic issue
The problem is that costs have skyrocketed—transport, diesel, containers—and the institute’s annual budget of 16 to 18 million euros is no longer sufficient. « We are fighting for a budget of 450 million euros over 10 years, » explains the deputy, who reminds us of the symbolic (France has long been a global leader in this field), scientific (the poles are the most affected by climate change), and strategic (with American, Chinese, and Russian ambitions in these regions) importance of polar research.
He also recalls that Emmanuel Macron promised to double the budget for polar research, amounting to one billion euros over seven years, at the One Planet Summit in 2023.
He places great hope in an upcoming international ministerial committee meeting on May 20, hoping that the « funding issue for polar research will be addressed. »
Source: francebleu
