French politics is facing a radical change following the European elections. The upcoming Summer Games in Paris are not expected to be affected.
Despite the announced new elections in France, Thomas Bach expects the Olympic Games in Paris to run smoothly.
The political bombshell from French President Emmanuel Macron will not affect preparations for the major event in just over seven weeks, said IOC President Bach during an event to prepare for Paris 2024 in the French capital. Macron’s entourage also said that the Summer Games were in no way threatened. All state services have been committed for a long time and preparations are thorough. “The Olympic Games are therefore not affected by this decision,” it was said on Monday.
After the clear victory of the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement Nationale led by Marine Le Pen, Macron (46) dissolved the French National Assembly on Sunday evening and announced new elections for the parliamentary chamber on June 30 and July 7, the latter taking place less than three weeks before the start of the games (July 26 to August 11).
“France is used to holding elections, they will do it again, there will be a new government and everyone will support the Olympic Games,” said Bach (70). French politicians are united in their support for the Games. “I have no indication that this unity will break now, just a few days before the opening of the Games,” said Bach.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she found it “difficult to understand” why Macron wanted to plunge the country into political uncertainty so close to the Games, calling the move “another coup” by the president.
Good Summer Games in Paris despite new elections
According to the preliminary official result, the Eurosceptics around Le Pen received 31.36 percent of the vote, as the French Interior Ministry announced on Monday after all votes had been counted. The list of the party of President Macron and allies came in a distant second place with 14.6 percent. It received less than half the votes that the right-wing nationalists received.
Paris 2024 boss Tony Estanguet said his team was “more determined than ever” to make the Games a success. “There have been about ten elections since we launched the Olympic Games candidacy and we have understood how to work with public actors,” he said.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
