Von der Leyen’s call at odds with predecessor’s dismay over EU budget allocations
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has said that society and policymakers “must continue to stand up for science” so it can help solve global challenges.
Speaking at the United States National Academy of Medicine’s annual conference by video link on 19 October, von der Leyen (pictured, left) said that disinformation about vaccines was following the “same pattern” as that on climate change, but that science was also “making a popular comeback”.
Introducing a session on how science and policymaking can address complex threats to society, she said the world had seen science’s “true value” for policymaking and communicating “complex public health decisions”.
Her upbeat tone contrasted with that of her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured, right), who used an interview on the same day with the Robert Schuman Foundation, a French state-supported think tank, to criticise the provisional allocation for research in the 2021-27 EU budget.
“I am appalled by these blunders caused by the harmful influence of the Frugal Four!” he said, referring to national leaders’ decision in July to reduce EU spending on research, health and academic mobility in relation to Commission proposals, in part influenced by leaders of Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden.
“I am dismayed by this lack of ambition, which does not reflect in reality the virtuous words that governments may have,” said Juncker.