PARIS —
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday
gathered senior ministers to tackle issues shadowing preparations for the Paris
2024 Olympics, almost two years to the day before the sporting extravaganza
opens.
اضافة اعلان
The Olympics should be a centerpiece of the freshly
re-elected Macron’s second term, projecting an image of a France comfortable in
its modern identity but open to the world.
But with two years to go to the opening ceremony on
July 26, 2024, concerns are growing not just over costs but also security
preparations.
France’s reputation as a reliable host of sporting
events took a major battering over the chaos that marred the
Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Paris on May 28 that critics blamed
on heavy-handed policing.
A particular subject of anxiety is the ambitious
vision — in a typical Macron flourish — of an opening ceremony that will not
take place as is customary in the athletics stadium but as a flotilla down the
River Seine.
The meeting at the Elysee Palace included key
ministers such as Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Sports Minister Amelie
Oudea-Castera, as well as the head of the Paris organizing committee, the
three-time Olympic slalom canoe champion Tony Estanguet.
Macron will after the meeting also speak to
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, the Elysee said.
It is a chance for the ministers “to take note of
where there are weaknesses”, said a French presidential official who asked not
to be named.
France’s top audit body, the Cour des Comptes, has
warned in a report that it is “imperative” to accelerate preparations to deal
with the “considerable” security challenge.
“A more precise definition of security needs is
becoming urgent,” said the report, the initial version of a study that will be
published later this year. It was first revealed by the Canard Enchaine weekly
and then seen by AFP.
The report also suggests scaling down the opening
ceremony, which is set to have an armada of 200 boats and some 600,000
spectators.
The Le Monde daily said the prospect of the river
opening ceremony — with spectators packed on the banks of the Seine — was
giving the organizers “cold sweats”.
Some 10 million spectators are expected overall but
projects to improve Paris’ sometimes ramshackle transport infrastructure,
notably with two new metro lines, will not be ready when the Games begin.
The Games will pose a unique challenge. The showcase
athletics and swimming events are due to be held in Seine-Saint-Denis north of
Paris, one of the lowest-income areas in France, and a cluster of events in the
center of the capital.
Sailing events will take place at the other end of
the country in the Mediterranean city of Marseille, while the surfing will be
in the Pacific territory of French Polynesia, on the other side of the world.
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