Plus ca change?

摘要

In Frances presidential election, the first round of which will be held on 22 April with a run-off two weeks later, research and innovation have emerged as significant campaign issues, crystallizing public concern about the nations competitiveness and global standing. This election is an important one for science. Presidents of France can make a real difference: Charles de Gaulle helped to create Frances world-beating nuclear, aerospace and transport industries through a united national research effort in the 1950s. Francois Mitterrand invested heavily in research after his election in 1981 and oversaw a resurgence of French science.