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Emmanuel Macron presided, on Monday, July 25, at the Elysee, an Olympic and Paralympic council to ensure a good level of preparation for the Paris Games, two years after the sporting event.
With the planetary meeting approaching, scheduled for July 26 to August 11, 2024, the Head of State wanted all “measures the rather exceptional importance of what the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent in France for its scope, its audience, its social, cultural, economic impacts, in particular on the image of the country in the world”the Elysee told Reuters. Fourteen ministers participated in this council, in addition to the interested prefects, the interministerial delegate Michel Cadot and the president of the Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet.
After the Court of Auditors expressed its concern in a report on the state of preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, the president “much insisted” for “do, within a balanced budget, things that are up to the ambitions that we have set for ourselves collectively”. “We must accelerate or in any case continue to maintain the current speed, and anticipate any form of crisis and possible threat”as concerned voices were raised following the security fiasco at the Champions League soccer final at the Stade de France on May 28.
“The Games budget will be maintained”
In the economic aspect, the provisional cost of the Games reaches 8,300 million euros, compared to the 6,800 million presented in the candidature phase. The budget of the Société de livraison des ouvrages Olympiques (Solideo) is valued at 4.3 billion euros in the projected budget for 2024. , derivatives…).
Subsidies from the State and local authorities, which amount to approximately 1.7 billion in total, including inflation, are currently 17 million higher than planned, “which attests to the seriousness of the forecasts and the good control of this budget allocation”underlines the Elysee.
To correct the discrepancies anticipated by the authors of various reports, the authorities hope to activate various levers, such as the search for new partnerships and the reduction of the period of availability of competing sites, which would allow the amount of compensation to be reduced. due to loss of activity. “The Games budget will be maintained”assumed the presidency of the Republic.
17,500 security guards
Regarding the delivery of the venues -95% of which are existing or temporary-, the progress of the twenty-five works in progress is in line with the agreed program, which basically provides for the construction of an Olympic village and an aquatic center .
Regarding security, 17,500 agents will be needed to transport 800,000 people to the venues each day (200,000 accredited and 600,000 spectators), which requires a training and recruitment program, according to Elysée. The manpower required, including all necessities, is estimated at between 22,000 and 25,000 security guards per day.
The armies will also be involved: the National Navy will participate in the nautical events in Marseille and Tahiti and the Air Force will carry out anti-drone surveillance. The “Sentinel” operation will be reinforced, as well as cybersecurity measures.
A “popular box office” with seats for less than 50 euros
On the transport side, the Games should coincide with the extension of metro line 14 towards Saint-Denis-Pleyel in the north and Orly in the south. A thousand taxis will also be made available to people with reduced mobility.
In terms of jobs created, the threshold of one million working hours provided to people in integration has been exceeded. Some 1,500 people, 47% of whom come from Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest and youngest department in France, have benefited so far. the “popular box office” implementation plans to provide 50% of the tickets at less than 50 euros, some of which at the limited rate of 24 euros.
The Olympic flame, due to traverse much of France from mid-April to July 26, 2024, will arrive in Paris for the scheduled opening ceremony on and around the Seine, while the Paralympic Games in Concord. In terms of security, the expectations of the Police Headquarters and the Ministry of the Interior for these two shows “Lead us today to be completely reassuring and rule out any hypothesis that requires a plan B”secure the Elysee.
The Olympic Committee has also unveiled the motto for the Paris Olympics, Monday. At the end of a short video of one minute and thirty seconds, it is shown as follows: “Let’s Open the Games Wide”.
An invitation to the whole world to come and experience new emotions together! You are 1’30 min away from… https://t.co/A415hEYv51