The unexpected victory of the Socialist party in Spain's March 14 general elections may have significant implications for the way science is conducted in the country.
Although the party hasn't been able to enter into the fine detail of some measures, partly because of the surprise of the victory, several reforms will undoubtedly happen, said Jaime Diez Lissavetzky, spokesman for the Socialists' Parliamentary Science Commission.
First, the new government will create a new Science and Education Ministry, merging the previously separate Science and Technology, and Education and Culture ministries. An aim is to improve the mobility of researchers between universities and research centers under the Higher Research Council, Lissavetzky told
The move will also allow for the creation of “mixed” centers made up of both institutions, Lissavetzky said. Universities will be administratively incorporated in the new ministry, he stressed.
Second, the new government will increase the research budget ...
