“It’s going pretty well. » This sentence, Tony Estanguet, the president of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojop) of Paris 2024, repeated it several times, Tuesday July 18. It presented the progress of the preparation for the summer 2024 event and the challenges of the final year which, from Wednesday July 26, will lead to the opening ceremony of the Games.
Site works, budget, safety and transport systems… On each of these points “It’s going pretty well”, assures Mr. Estranguet. Even the searches, at the beginning of June, at the headquarters of the Cojop within the framework of investigations carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office and targeting two executives of the organization, do not change it.
The construction of the equipment – voluntarily limited in number – which will accommodate the athletes and the competitions is on time. On the financial side, the Cojop “secured 80%” of its 4.38 billion euros in revenue, welcomed the Elysée, Wednesday July 19, during an Olympic and Paralympic council.
In terms of security, meetings have been linked for months and a protocol was signed at the end of May between the State, the city of Paris and the Cojop defining the responsibilities for the opening ceremony on the Seine, for which 500,000 to 600,000 people are expected. In the same way, mobilization was sounded on transport and a flow plan “day by day, site by site” has been established, according to Mr. Estanguet.
However, if the situation is far from being as catastrophic as in the song Everything is fine madam la marquisea certain name of “little nothings” – which are not – subsists.
Points de tension
To stick to its budget, the Cojop must finalize partnerships with companies. However, the Court of Auditors, in a report submitted to Parliament, points to ” substantial uncertainties”evoking « 337,2 millions [qui] remain to be secured », out of a projected total of 1.22 billion. The challenge here is to conclude long months of discussions with the luxury group LVMH, for a contract estimated at 140 million. Which might not be too late.
The Cojop will also have to demonstrate that it keeps its expenses. which supposes “a strong constraint”in order to “to be able to ensure the final balance”, warns the Court of Auditors. However, this anticipates a possible additional cost on security with the mobilization of the operational reserves of the police, the gendarmerie, the army “to make up for the lack of private supply”.
You have 34.94% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.