“Presidential Scientific Council”: here are the 12 members of this new committee appointed by Macron

A way to reconcile politicians and scientists, or just another advisory body? The new “Presidential Scientific Council” was officially created this Thursday, December 7, by Emmanuel Macron. His entourage promised this week “a consultation structure that will enlighten him, help him plan for the future and take the right directions in terms of public policy on this issue.”

This new committee consists of twelve members: seven men and five women. The group met for the first time this Thursday morning, on the sidelines of a speech by the head of state on research. “They are wonderful people, and it was a pleasure to interact with each of them,” admits mathematics and computer science researcher Claire Mathieu, one of the twelve people appointed.

Famous experts

All of them are well-known specialists in their field. We find an oncologist there Fabrice AndreResearch Director Gustave Roussy since 2020. Another doctor was chosen: an ophthalmologist. Jose-Alain Sahelawarded, among others, the CNRS Innovation Medal in 2012. They are accompanied by two mathematicians: Claire Mathieutherefore, the scientific director of the NCRS and the silver medalist of the center in 2019, as well as Hugo Duminil-CopenFields Medal 2022.

Physics presented Pascal SenellardProfessor of Quantum Mechanics at the Ecole Polytechnique and Alen AspectNobel Prize in Physics 2022. Two positions are occupied by two environmental researchers: microbiologist Aude BernheimCollège de France Prize for Young Researchers for the first edition in 2022 and ecologist Sandra LavorelCNRS gold medal in 2023.

The advisory body also includes an economist (Jean TirolNobel Prize 2014), historian (Lucien WhitePresident of the Association of Modernist Historians of French Universities and member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences), sociologist (Pierre-Paul ZalioCNRS bronze medalist 2003) and philosopher (Claudine TierselinProfessor of the College de France). Everyone participates voluntarily.

The risk of “appearing as a scientific guarantee”

What will the Presidential Science Council actually do? Emmanuel Macron specifically mentioned the ability to “say what is going well and what is not, see what is worth thinking about, alert you to dysfunction, create new projects…” The group should discuss with him “at least once a quarter.” It will also have to coexist with numerous other advisory structures. Mention may be made in particular of the Committee for Monitoring and Forecasting Health Risks (Covars) and the Higher Climate Council (HCC).

“We feel a mistrust between the political and scientific worlds, so if I can bring a little science to the Elysee Palace, I would love it! I was told that this was about science, not science policy, and that this was not about endorsing the president’s policy choices,” says Claire Mathieu.

In recent years, the researcher has never hidden her disagreements with the government on various issues on social networks, including pension reform. “One of my concerns is looking like scientific evidence,” continues the woman, who, although enthusiastic, is still in a “wait-and-see mode.”