Academic Freedom Under Threat? Saeima Committee Summons Researchers to Justify Projects

Latvia prides itself on a high level of academic freedom, ranking among the top ten percent of countries globally in protecting this freedom. However, politicians have recently been scrutinizing individual research projects, questioning their worth even before the studies are completed and peer-reviewed.

The Saeima Public Expenditure and Audit Committee has invited three project leaders from the Fundamental and Applied Research Programme (FLPP) to discuss the added value of their research. Committee head Kaspars Melnis, from the Union of Greens and Farmers, stated that he wants to see the contribution, as "we as a state are the customer."

This approach reveals a misunderstanding of the FLPP, which aims to foster internationally competitive science and nurture the next generation of academics, not to solve specific state problems—a task reserved for the State Research Programme. FLPP projects in the humanities and social sciences often face political criticism because their topics appear familiar and thus seem unnecessary to study.

One of the selected projects is "Same-sex partnerships: an anthropological study on raising children outside a heteronormative environment," which seeks to understand why this topic provokes such strong reactions in Latvia. The committee's interest in this project before its completion exemplifies exactly what the study aims to explore.

Project budgets, such as 300,000 euros over three years, are often cited as the reason for attention. However, at least 20 percent of this amount goes to conferences and publications, while the remainder covers salaries for a team of three to six people—roughly 1,180 euros gross per month per researcher, a modest sum given their education.

Erosion of academic freedom often begins with public pressure on researchers and political targeting of specific projects. If scientists start avoiding politically sensitive topics due to concerns over funding or reputation, self-censorship emerges, one of the most dangerous threats to academic freedom. Political interference in the content of science, even if it starts with seemingly harmless reviews, can gradually undermine the foundations of democracy. The line between politicians setting funding rules and choosing which scientific answers are acceptable must be maintained in the interest of democracy.