Due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations, a prestigious French university loses funds

After fierce pro-Palestinian rallies rocked Sciences Po, one of the nation’s most famous colleges, the Paris area authority caused uproar on Tuesday by temporarily withholding funds for the institution.

Valerie Pecresse, the right-wing leader of the larger Paris Ile-de-France region, posted on social media on Monday saying, “I have decided to suspend all regional funding for Sciences Po until calm and security have been restored at the school.”

She accused hard-left politicians of trying to capitalize on the tensions by pointing the finger upon “a minority of radicalized people calling for anti-Semitic hatred.”

One million euros in 2024 are set aside as part of the regional funding for the institution located in Paris, an official from Pecresse’s team said AFP.

Jean Basseres, the university’s acting administration, expressed his remorse over the choice on Tuesday.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde that was published on Tuesday, he stated, “The Ile-de-France region is an essential partner of Sciences Po, and I wish to maintain dialogue on the position expressed by Mrs. Pecresse”.

Students at Sciences Po have organized many rallies in response to the heated demonstrations that have shook many prestigious US campuses. Some students are incensed by the Israel-Hamas conflict and the resulting humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian region of Gaza.

After the United States and Israel, France is home to the largest Jewish population in the world and the largest Muslim community in Europe.

Last Monday, university authorities requested police to break up a protest. At Sorbonne, another prestigious French institution, students were demanding an end to Israel’s shelling of Gaza on Monday when police broke up the demonstration.

The French government does not intend to stop subsidizing Sciences Po, according to a statement made on Tuesday by Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education.

In an interview with France 2, she put the state’s contribution to the university’s budget at 75 million euros. She stated that during the protests, there had been “no anti-Semitic remarks” and no acts of violence.

It was also stated by Retailleau and Basseres that there were no intentions to halt Sciences Po’s cooperation with Israeli colleges.

Pecresse’s announcement has drawn criticism from leftists.

The president of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) lawmakers in parliament, Mathilde Panot, described the situation as “shameful and an absolute scandal,” while also calling the students’ actions a “credit to the world and a credit to our country.”