First came the promises, then came the cuts in this year’s budget for Germany’s Ministry of Science and Technology. When it became clear after a session of the cabinet last week that 250 million Marks less would be available, indignation among members of the parliament´s research commission was big enough to even overcome the party lines.

„The commission condemns the reduction. The government is called upon to cancel the decision“, social democrats, liberals and christian democrats proposed in a joint motion that did not go unnoticed. „We are observing with great interest the shaping of opinions“, a cornered government spokesman, Dieter Vogel, declared the next day. On file is chancellor Helmut Kohl´s pledge during an earlier session of the cabinet, to work towards an increase in research money for 1994.

But Wolf-Michael Catenhusen, head of the research commission, said he could not make out any movement on the governments side. With a total budget of 9,46 billion marks, the ministry of science and technology (BMFT) has experienced zero-growth since 1991. Hit by the heavy costs of reunification and recession, additional cuts for most ministries totaling five billion marks were prescribed by secretary of finance Theo Waigel for this year’s budget. While this would nominally amount to an average reduction of one percent, BMFT will now have to get along with 2,64 percent less.

Some 150 million marks that was to come from the confiscated property of SED, the former East-German ruling party is now part of the total and will be available from early February. Originally, the package had been labeled as additional money and was meant to support the declining industrial research in former East-Germany. Out of 65000 employees in this field when the wall came down in 1989, only 15000 still hold a job. Six out of ten working places are currently being financed by federal money.

„We are not enthusiastic about this, but we did get away with a black eye“, secretary of science and technology Paul Krüger said of the latest budget cuts. Others had stronger feelings. „Like a fish on dry land“ described spokesman Eberhard Gockel the situation for the 16-member working group of large research institutions (AGF). Although discussions about where to save are still going on in the ministry, projects and jobs at AGF seem to be at higher risk than others. Even without the latest cuts up to 2000 of the 16500 jobs at AGF will have to be abolished within a five-year period.

AGF-chairman Joachim Treusch noted that the scientific community was „extremly puzzled“ after learning that BMFT was not exempt from the budget cuts, contrary to earlier announcements. Michael Globig, speaking for the Max-Planck Society (MPG), said it was too early to comment on possible consequences for his organization. With it´s close to 70 institutes and more than 10000 personal, MPG is highly regarded for its contributions to basic research. The German Research Community (DFG) whose research money goes mainly into universities is on dry land due the fact that it is financed by the ministry of education.

(Original version of an article published in Science Magazine, January 28th, 1994)