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Nature 446, 854 (19 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/446854a; Published online 18 April 2007

There is a Correction (26 April 2007) associated with this document.

French election: Is French science in decline...

Declan Butler1

  1. Declan Butler is a senior reporter for Nature, based in Paris.

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...or have its failings been greatly exaggerated? Declan Butler finds out.

Se regarder le nombril — navel gazing — is a national sport in France, and that gaze has turned to science. The sentiment that French research is in steep decline has become a recurrent theme of political discourse, newspaper editorials and TV talk shows.