After the collapse of the German government earlier this month, sector leaders fear long-awaited initiatives to boost innovation and tackle academic precarity will be abandoned, with progress potentially suspended for months while the country establishes a new coalition.

Germany¡¯s three-way ¡°traffic light¡± coalition ¨C comprising the ¡°red¡± Social Democratic Party (SPD), the ¡°yellow¡± Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens ¨C disintegrated after chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD fired finance minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner amid a dispute over the country¡¯s budget. Several FDP officials subsequently resigned, including higher education and research minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger.

Previously scheduled for autumn 2025, federal elections are expected to be brought forward and will likely take place in the spring, with Mr Scholz leading a minority government in the meantime. Succeeding Ms Stark-Watzinger, Cem ?zdemir, minister for food and agriculture, is now also responsible for the ministry of higher education and research.

Thomas K?nig, a political science professor at the University of Mannheim, told?Times Higher Education?that the now-defunct coalition, in his opinion, ¡°did not set particular policies that improved research or funding conditions in Germany¡±.

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

However, Frank Ziegele, executive director of the Centre for Higher Education, said some progress had been made, pointing to the establishment of an?automatic yearly funding increase of 3 per cent for universities?as well as the continuation of the Excellence Strategy, which provides financial support for cutting-edge research.

The proposed German Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI), a funding instrument for knowledge transfer, was a ¡°very positive development¡±, Professor Ziegele said ¨C but the agency¡¯s fate is now uncertain after the government¡¯s collapse. A funding boost for digitalisation, meanwhile, has also failed to materialise.

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

Andreas Keller, vice-president of the German Trade Union for Education and Research (GEW), lamented the coalition¡¯s failure to pass a reform of the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act, known as the WissZeitVG, which regulates fixed-term employment for early-career researchers. ¡°The members of parliament should now thoroughly revise the current draft amendment and pass it before the federal president dissolves parliament,¡± Dr Keller said.

Among GEW¡¯s demands are the provision of ¡°permanent positions for permanent tasks¡±, the establishment of ¡°binding minimum terms for temporary contracts¡± and the abolition of an existing ban on collective bargaining. A revised law should also mandate ¡°compensation for disadvantages for academics with caring responsibilities or disabilities¡±, as well as the assurance of ¡°reliable prospects for postdocs¡± via permanent contracts or positions, said Dr Keller.

With upcoming federal elections and the coalition negotiations that will inevitably follow, a period of uncertainty awaits German higher education and research ¨C although the sector was no stranger to instability, according to Professor K?nig, who commented: ¡°Despite programmatic pledges, uncertainty has become the standard, since higher education generally depends on public funding.¡±

Professor Ziegele told?THE?that ¡°a new government maybe won¡¯t be effective before May, or so, of the coming year. This will mean that until May, nothing happens ¨C no new strategies.¡±

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

¡°That time will be lost,¡± he added. ¡°And we don¡¯t have time to lose.¡±

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com