Three months before the presidential election in France, Emmanuel Macron, who, apparently, will soon announce his intention to run for a second term, unexpectedly put forward an initiative that clearly did not appeal to many French people. First of all, youth. What is it about?

On the draft law providing for the reform of the higher education system. In particular, it proposes to abandon the current situation, when access to university classrooms is practically free for everyone. In order to be enrolled in the first year, it is enough to have a certificate of general secondary education, or, as it is called here, a "bak". Then pay about 200 euros to the social insurance fund, as well as a registration fee, which is also small - 170 euros. And it's all.

The learning process itself, the salaries of professors, scholarships, and the costs associated with the functioning of universities are fully paid by the state. The corresponding article in the state budget is the fourth in importance. Thus, this year 24.5 billion euros have been reserved for these purposes. Speaking at the Congress of University Presidents, Emmanuel Macron said that the country is not able to support the system when, unlike many Western countries, and primarily the United States, Britain, almost none of the students pay for their studies.

According to established practice, every year more than 90 percent of graduates, and this is more than 600 thousand people, with the help of an Internet platform created specifically by the Ministry of Higher Education, enroll in certain universities. Moreover, as the head of the Fifth Republic noted, one third of them receive a scholarship, but "only 50 percent of students" come to the exams after the first year, which is "unacceptable waste." Hence the decision to raise the registration fee. True, by how much - Macron did not specify. Note that a couple of years ago in France this fee was increased for those wishing to study at local universities from non-EU countries. Now it is 2770 euros.

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