Paris 2024 Olympics: D-day – 365, will the French people truly gather around their games?

Exactly one year before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, will the celebration of this essential milestone manage to quiet down the lingering bad buzz that has surrounded this mythical and magical event for months? When it was announced that Paris had been selected to welcome the 2024 Olympics, the polemics and the quarrels sparked by the City of Light’s fourth bid in thirty years seemed to quell. Instead, a sense of pride and positive excitement seemed to arise. The idea of hosting and actively participating in the world’s most newsworthy event, a hundred years after the 1924 Olympics, made the critical and the pessimistic take a back seat. Proof of it is the stoicism with which the inhabitants of the Paris region endure the consequences, particularly in terms of traffic, of the various work construction that the organization of such an event entails.

However, over the past year or so, questions, challenges, and critics have continuously grown around four major themes: security, transport, and more recently, governance and ticket prices.

The recent riots sparked by the death of the young Nahel have certainly not alleviated the doubts about France’s ability to ensure a safe and smooth supervision of the events. That feeling also comes from the fiasco of the Champions League final in May 2022 which stood at the Stade de France. More than clashes between fans, which should not occur at the Olympics, unlike at soccer games, it is the regulation of spectators influx and violence against spectators that are raising the most concerns, not to mention the risk of terrorism. One event in particular polarizes those concerns: the opening ceremony. French exception obliges, the ceremony will not be held in a closed stadium, as it has always been the case since 1896, but on the Seine River as part of a nautical parade. This fantastic idea will allow to showcase the city’s exceptional beauty and influence, which will be enough to make the 2024 Olympics outstanding Games. If everything goes according to plan…. But the risks involved are undeniable and should make those in charge of security and public order shudder. Moreover, the various reports on the risks of insufficient security staff do not reassure us about France’s ability to meet this first challenge.

The second controversial issue revolves around transportation. Already largely saturated, and partly degraded by recurring problems, persisting vacancies, absenteeism and recruitment, will the local public transportation system be able to handle the influx of spectators and their journeys between the different events? And, at the same time, will it be able to cope with the daily commutes of Ile-de-France residents who won’t be away on vacation during the Olympics? Regular users of Parisian transports are allowed to doubt. It is not hard to imagine what consequences could have the media coverage of such complaints, especially from spectators prevented from attending some games or competition for which they have crossed the entire world and bought tickets eighteen months in advance!

The ticket sales process opened up a new source of controversy this winter. In the early stages of the process, tickets could only be bought in packages, which combined unrelated sports and locations. The price of the tickets was also part of the controversy. Of course, everyone understands that the Olympics must be financially balanced, but the prices of some tickets, particularly for the opening ceremony, were surprising, if not scandalous. This gave the impression that 2024 Olympics would not be the accessible party it promised to be. The Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) argued that a certain number of low-price tickets were available (24€ for the cheapest), and that people could attend the ceremony for free since it would be held in the city rather than in a closed venue. The OCOG also mentioned that the overall financial constraints were factors that needed to be taken into account. All things considered, almost all of the tickets were sold at the beginning of July, which should put an end to the controversy – even though French people might probably keep accusing the Olympics of being only made for the rich or for foreigners. The controversy over the price asked for the local communities who wanted to host the Olympics torch relay has surely contributed to feed those thoughts.

Finally, the governance of the Olympics has been called into question on several occasions and for a variety of reasons. The resignation of the President of the French Olympic Committee led the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to issue a press release reminding to the various French bodies their responsibilities and encouraging them to focus on fulfilling them properly. The fact that some of the Olympics mascots were produced in China caused a stir, at a time where economic relocation and independence are key issues, and having in mind the commitments made by the French within their bid to reduce the environmental impact of the Olympic Games. And more recently, the announcement of judicial searches inside the Organizing Committee’s offices concerning the conditions under which some contracts were awarded created a new reputational risk.

In this difficult context, and as countdown begins, the recent report by the Cour des comptes (French Public Audit Office) declaring that equipment will be ready on time, and congratulating Solideo, the company in charge of its construction, for its work, is particularly welcome and appears to be an initial response to all the doom and gloom. Hopefully, others will follow in the months to come.

In March, 69% of French people said they supported the Olympics, a 5-point drop compared to the same barometer conducted 18 months earlier. The Paris Olympics are not the first event to be challenged during its preparatory phase. Experience shows that all the criticism tends to fade away after the first whistle kickoff: the competition passion takes over. Let’s bet that this 69% will then turn into a 100% … Assuming, of course, that the opening ceremony and events go off without a hitch.