MESRI. Sylvie Retailleau becomes the new Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. She succeeds Frédéric Vidal. Physicist and president of Paris-Saclay, what is her profile?
[Mis à jour le 20 mai 2022 à 17h14] The reshuffle has just been made official by the Elysée at 4:30 p.m. She is the president of the University of Paris-Saclay Sylvie Retailleau who will take charge of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI). This new appointee will have authority over the General Directorate for Higher Education and Professional Integration, the General Directorate for Research and Innovation, the General Inspectorate of Libraries and the Cabinet Office, which represents a great challenge for an Enarque completely new to politics.
If in some governments, and in particular that of François Hollande, this portfolio was entrusted to a Secretary of State to the Minister of National Education, the post has gradually asserted itself since the 1970s.he ministry can be a valuable help for the Minister of National Education who already has many responsibilities, like the outgoing Jean-Michel Blanquer, and the crises that have characterized his mandate. The proposals sent to presidential candidates and published in January by university presidents clearly illustrate this desire to maintain a full-fledged ministry. Currently the sixth largest in terms of budget, as evidenced by the dedicated page from the Ministry of the Economy, the MESRI and its 25 billion euros even comes ahead of “Solidarity and Health” at 15.9 billion, or even before Justice at 12.8 billion. What will Sylvie Retailleau’s mission be?
While the anger of the universities erupted during the intervening period (notably with blockades and occupations of premises), the Higher Education file is perhaps not the most attractive. And yet, it will have been necessary to find a successor to Frédéric Vidal. It is Sylvie Retailleau which lands on the folder. A graduate of the ENA, she is a physicist, professor of physics, but also a university professor since 2001. Researcher at the CNRS, she focuses her activities on the theoretical study of the physics of semiconductor components for advanced electronics . She directed the University of Paris-Sud from 2016 to 2019, before taking up her current position, the presidency of the University of Paris-Saclay. This physicist straight out of academia will have her work cut out for her. Between the research programming law voted by the previous government and spread over ten years criticized for its total lack of consideration of inflation and the refinancing by a multi-annual programming law requested by the universities, the program will be loaded. The most important issue could even be the psychological distress and precariousness of students, greatly amplified by the health crisis.
For Frédérique Vidal, the presidential experience ends there. And for good reason, she had very little visibility during this mandate, as evidenced by her total absence from opinion barometers and media chronicles. This is partly explained by the presence of Jean-Michel Blanquer in the post of Minister of National Education, on whom all eyes have turned. And yet, her record is rather full, she who initiated the LPR law, initially called the Vidal law, which triggered the 2018 ordinances and the ORE law with Parcoursup. A completed report, certainly, but not really approved by the main concerned, testifies to it the platform signed by 600 members of the staff of higher education and research published in the World last February, the body of the text of which is the request for the resignation of Frédérique Vidal. “We protest against the indignity of what must be described as a witch hunt” they explained, in connection with the investigation into “Islamo-leftism” and postcolonialism at the university. Signed by economist Thomas Piketty and research engineer Richard Walter, the platform said in black and white: “We consider such a minister unworthy of representing us and we strongly demand her resignation”. Leaving her in post would therefore have been a risky bet.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation works above all on higher education, research, technology, space, innovation, universities, sciences. It is in charge of preparing and implementing government policy relating to the development of higher education, research and technology. The main skills are the space policy, the definition of the educational projects of higher education establishments, the allocation of resources and means allocated by the State within the framework of the interministerial “Research and higher education” mission, the definition and implementation of the program of investments for the future, innovation policy, the preparation of Government decisions relating to the establishment of research universities with international influence, the promotion of science and technology, the dissemination of scientific, technological and industrial culture and the development and dissemination of digital uses in society and the economy.
As for the minister himself, he has authority over three general directorates: that of higher education and professional integration (DGESIP); that of research and innovation (DGRI); that of school education (DGESCO). It can also call on other administrations such as “the general management of the media and cultural industries, the general management of companies or the general council for the economy, industry, energy and technologies”, explain it official site of the ministry.
Here are the Ministers Delegate or Secretaries of State who preceded Sylvie Retailleau:
- Frédérique Vidal (May 2017 – May 2022)
- Thierry Mandon (June 2015 – May 2017)
- Geneviève Fioraso (April 2014 – March 2015)
- Laurent Wauquiez (June 2011 – May 2012)
- Valérie Pécresse (May 2007 – November 2010)
- François Goulard (June 2005 – May 2007)
- François Loos (May 2002 – June 2002)
- Jean de Boishue (May 1995 – November 1995)