“It is incomprehensible that [the Government] proceeded with a reform aiming to merge the Foundation for Science and Technology without prior dialogue with higher education institutions and researchers”, stated José Luís Carneiro while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of António Domingues’ candidacy presentation for the council of Ansião, Leiria district.
The socialist leader was commenting on the Government’s decision to dissolve FCT and the National Innovation Agency (ANI) and create a new body, the Agency for Research and Innovation.
According to José Luís Carneiro, “reforms cannot be imposed from the top down, vertically, without dialogue with the institutions that sustain collective life”.
The secretary-general of PS reiterated support for state reform, insisting that it must be undertaken “through dialogue”, criticizing this reform for affecting directly “what is the backbone of research and knowledge in the country” without prior consultation.
Noting conversations with “some sector representatives”, he highlighted “the disbelief with which they received the announcement of measures to dismantle institutions without dialogue with their representatives, workers, and researchers who create science and knowledge in our country”.
“We believe it is necessary to ensure greater effectiveness and efficiency in the response of many public services. But reforms should be conducted with public administration workers and their leaders, not against them”, said José Luís Carneiro.
The Government anticipates that the new Agency for Research and Innovation will eliminate “current redundancies between ANI and FCT, resulting in clear operational and administrative benefits, such as platform pools, human resources, and financing systems”.
Meanwhile, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa indicated that if he has doubts “about any aspect” of the dissolution of the FCT, he will ask the Government to reconsider the proposal and can veto it if the executive insists.
The head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, acknowledged that the Executive might “invoke” goals and objectives from Brussels as the basis for the decision to dissolve the Foundation for Science and Technology, announced on Thursday.
The president of the National Union of Higher Education (SNESup) expressed surprise at the lack of information about the sector’s reform. The president of the Scientific Research Grant Holders Association (ABIC) also expressed surprise, describing the decision as “bad policy”, and the president of the Scientific Workers Organization criticized the absence of debate with the scientific community.
