Paris

Scientists gathered outside the Sorbonne last week, not to demonstrate, but to picnic and toast with champagne a victory in their three-month conflict with the government.

The Save Research movement, which had led a series of protests (see Nature 428, 241; 2004), called them off on 7 April after the government caved in to the researchers' demands.

The move came after French president Jacques Chirac's statement on 1 April, when he disowned the research policies of his previous government and declared the scientists' protests “justified”. François Fillon, minister for education, higher education and research, and François d'Aubert, junior minister for research, who were appointed in a government reshuffle on 31 March, moved quickly to put Chirac's words into action.

Following negotiations last week with representatives of the scientific community, Fillon and d'Aubert announced a series of emergency measures for research, including the scientists' key demand of 550 new full-time research posts for young scientists. The government also agreed to a further 1,050 university posts — 300 immediately and 750 in January 2005.

Fillon described the move as “an exceptional and immediate effort in favour of science jobs”, and a means “to take the high ground” in defusing the situation. Finding a way out of the current crisis was imperative, he added, if progress is to be made on a planned reform and funding plan for French research that is expected to go before parliament by the end of the year. He also committed to the protesters' demands that the scientific community be brought on board in drafting the reforms.

“It's a great day for French science,” said a jubilant Alain Trautmann, leader of Save Research. “We got exactly what we demanded.”