PARIS, July 3 – Former high-ranking officials at the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, remain confident that the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which start on July 26, will rise above any potential political fallout from the election for France’s national assembly.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise decision to call a snap election in the run-up to the Games came after the far-right National Rally party, known as RN, performed well in recent European Parliament elections.
In last week’s first of two rounds of domestic voting, RN topped the polls, with Macron’s party trailing in third.
The second round of voting takes place 19 days before the opening ceremony of the Games, which could be played out in a politically transformed France as well as against a backdrop of security concerns raised by conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
“The geopolitical lead-up to these Olympics… makes for the most complex and sensitive international situation for more than three decades,” said Michael Payne, the IOC’s former head of marketing.
But he said the public reaction to the build-up made him feel “the Olympics themselves are not going to be caught in any political crossfire”.
Another former IOC marketing executive, Terrence Burns, admitted the turbulent political situation “does indeed add another wrinkle to the Games security planning”, but said he “highly doubt it is something that no one there has considered and planned for”.
When the election was called, the mayor of Paris, Anna Hidalgo, said she had “difficulty understanding” its timing.
Amelie Oudea-Castera is currently France’s sports minister, which could change, dependent on the election outcome.
Noting that it is 100 years since Paris last staged the Olympics, she urged politicians to unite behind the city in the world spotlight, and showcase France in the best way possible.
“It’s crucial that our country takes care of its image and the message it sends to the world at a time when it is welcoming athletes from all over the globe,” she said.
