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This photo shows signs displayed by activists of the collective “Le revers de la medal” in front of the National Olympic and Sports Committee in Saint-Denis, the Paris suburb, on October 30, 2023, to raise awareness about the consequences of the Olympic Games about the precarious population and the people living in the streets of areas where events will take place. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
With less than eight months to go before the Paris Olympics, organizers and the French government are entering an uneasy period as cracks in preparations strain relations.
The main areas of concern are the environmental problems surrounding the surfing site in Tahiti, the safety of the unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine, the efficiency of public transport in the Paris region and, of course, the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Public transport mess
The anger and irritation that has enveloped the journeys of Paris commuters for the past eighteen months has spilled into the political arena.
In mid-November, the city’s socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo, declared that the city’s transportation system would “not be ready” before the summer of 2024.
Perhaps true, but not diplomatic, and it angered the government.
Transport Minister Clement Beaune admitted that “there is still work to be done” as he accused the mayor of “political betrayal”.
Valerie Pecresse, who is president of the Paris region and therefore responsible for wider transport matters, ruffled feathers by announcing that the price of metro tickets would double to four euros ($4.30) during the Olympics.
The Paris City Council has now asked for a review of the rates.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Jean Castex, now in charge of Paris transport companies RATP, has admitted that the network is “outdated”, with “at least eight” lines no longer able to provide “a quality public service”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was “reassured” diplomatically, but described the transport operation as “extremely complex”.
Fear of the opening ceremony
From the moment it was announced that the opening ceremony would take place on the Seine, there have been questions about both feasibility and safety.
A long stretch of river is inherently more difficult to control than a stadium.
Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, followed by the murder of a teacher in France by an Islamist former student, concerns have increased in France.
A fatal knife attack near the Eiffel Tower on December 2, which left a German tourist dead, raised further concerns.
How safe will the athletes, heads of state and even the public feel?
The US delegation expressed its “confidence” on the subject during a presentation on safety zones on Thursday, while French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera gave an ambiguous response to the call for an alternative option.
“Not a plan B, but a second plan,” she said.
Saga about surfing locations
After much back and forth, the surfing competitions will be held in French Polynesia as planned, the regional president said, declaring a blazing row between organizers, authorities and environmental groups over.
Polynesian leader Moetai Brotherson told AFP on Sunday that a meeting with environmental groups had produced “a solution” allowing the competition to be held in Teahupo’o on the island of Tahiti.
The debate over the island’s suitability to host the competitions has caused a stir for weeks, reaching a fever pitch early this month after a construction ship used to install a new judging tower broke corals in the sea during testing.
Oudea-Castera had ruled out the relocation of the Olympic surfing events, saying there was no alternative venue, but criticized what she admitted was an “ill-prepared” test event.
France’s Atlantic coast is home to some of Europe’s most famous surfing beaches and local officials had hoped to host the events.
The Russia Dilemma
Since Russian tanks entered Ukraine in February 2022, questions have been raised about the presence of Russian athletes and those of ally Belarus at the Paris Games.
On Friday, the IOC finally gave the green light to compete, albeit under a neutral flag and under strict conditions.
No teams are allowed, only individuals who do not actively support the war in Ukraine and are not contracted to the military.
The IOC says only 11 athletes – eight Russians and three Belarusians – are currently qualified and meet these criteria.
Moscow denounced the “discriminatory” conditions, while Kiev protested that the IOC decision “encourages Russia and Belarus to continue their armed aggression against Ukraine.”
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe made his sport’s position clear: “You might see Russian or Belarusian athletes under neutral flags in Paris, but that won’t be in athletics.”
Calls for a blanket ban between Russia and Belarus are likely to increase as the number of verified Ukrainian civilian deaths – numbered at at least 10,000 by the UN in November – continues to rise.