Nearly a dozen ministers spent their Olympic oral for more than two hours at the Elysée on Monday. From Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, to the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, to that of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, of National Education Pap Ndiaye or even of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, all presented their Olympic agenda.
The purpose of this “site meeting” as Macron had described it seems twofold: both to review all the files relating to the Olympics, but also to sign the mobilization at all levels of the State.
– Dialogue with the IOC –
All subjects have therefore been scrutinized, without exception: from security, with a “reassuring” Minister of the Interior, to the logistical challenges that these Olympic Games represent (accommodation, transport, catering, etc.), to employment , as well as the budgetary question.
On this point, which has crystallized quite a few concerns in recent months, in particular because of the inflation resulting mainly from the conflict in Ukraine, the State has “engaged in a dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reflect on ways of saving, indicated the Elysée.
IOC President Thomas Bach, present in Paris, also met Emmanuel Macron on Monday where this subject was discussed.
“This is proof that the budget of the Olympic Organizing Committee (OCOG) is somewhat stretched at the moment”, deciphers a source close to the Olympic mysteries.
Discussions between the IOC and the OCOG – whose budget of 4 billion is almost entirely financed by private revenue – to try to isolate avenues for savings had already begun a few weeks ago. The organizers, whose budget is guaranteed by the State, must withstand the inflationary shock, and are carrying out a budget review this year.
“The Games must finance the Games, in this sense a very close dialogue has been put in place”, assured in particular the Elysée.
The budget of Solideo, the company responsible for delivering the Olympic works should be “generally kept”, according to the Elysee Palace despite a budget increasing from 4 billion euros to 4.3 billion projected in 2024 due to inflation. “The idea put forward by some of an Olympics tax is totally unfounded and far-fetched”, reminded the Elysée, ensuring that between “1.7 or 1.8 billion of public money” was committed to these Olympics. .
But at the end of this Council, almost no big announcements apart from the creation to come of 11 new mobile units on the police side for the event, nor new pitfalls that appeared on the road to these Olympic Games.
Above all, it was necessary to see in this Olympic and Paralympic Council a clear message delivered by the President to his government, to the State services and to the President of the Olympic Games Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet, present on Monday: the State will fully mobilize for the event.
– “The State at the heart of the machine” –
Proof of state involvement: a meeting devoted to the Olympics will now be organized jointly between the president and the Prime Minister every quarter. A meeting of this type is already stalled with the “stakeholders” and elected officials at the start of the school year in September, recalled the Elysée.
The State has also undertaken to buy several hundred thousand tickets, the number being the subject of discussions with the organizers, intended in particular for a public who will not have the means to acquire them.
“The president recalled that we were only 24 months away from the Olympics, implying a now constant mobilization”, assured the Elysée.
“Perhaps there was a need to reassure everyone a little and to make clear to the ministers the importance that these Olympics have for the president, while recalling that the State was indeed at the heart of the machine,” breathes an elected close to macronie.
Asked about a possible takeover of the Games by Macron through this sequence, Tony Estanguet recalled that the president was “fully mobilized, from day one.”
“In recent months, the situation has taken him away from the Games project, so he wanted to reconnect with the different subjects,” he said.
If it is not strictly speaking a takeover of the Olympics by the State, “it still looks like it quite a bit”, believes the source close to the Olympic mysteries.