Overview

• Laurent Wauquiez, a prominent political figure, announced the suspension of regional cooperation subsidies to Université Lyon 2, accusing it of an 'islamo-gauchiste' drift.
• The funding freeze represents a minor portion of the university's budget but is intended to pressure the institution into accepting an independent inspection.
• The university has faced escalating tensions after masked activists disrupted a lecture on April 1, prompting an obstruction investigation by prosecutors.
• University president Isabelle von Bueltzingsloewen condemned the disruption but criticized the lecturer, Fabrice Balanche, leading to death threats against her and a subsequent inquiry.
• The controversy follows broader debates in France over secularism, academic freedom, and ideological activism, with similar funding suspensions previously targeting Sciences Po Grenoble in 2022.