France in turmoil ahead of Olympics

The preparations for the world's biggest sporting event are usually very stressful for host nations, but French President Emmanuel Macron complicated things even further last month when he unexpectedly called for early parliamentary elections.

" The Parliament is in limbo," and who will run the Olympics?

The second round of elections, held on Sunday, resulted in a "hung parliament," making it very difficult to hold the Olympic Games, which are scheduled to open on July 26, as it remains unclear who will hold key government positions.

A crowd protests at Place de la Republique in Paris following the French parliamentary elections. Photo: Reuters.

The election results have left the French Parliament divided into three main groups, none of which hold a majority and are unlikely to cooperate to form a new government.

Specifically, the left-wing coalition won 182 seats, President Macron's centrist party won 168 seats, and the National Front (RN) party won 143 seats out of a total of 577 seats in the French National Assembly.

"Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in a few weeks," 35-year-old Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Sunday evening as he submitted his resignation, but it was later rejected by President Macron "to ensure the stability of the country at the present time."

It is unclear whether the head of state intends to maintain the interim government until the Paris Olympics conclude on August 11, but the left-wing coalition leading the election has pushed for the nomination of a replacement candidate for Attal.

The future of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who oversaw security preparations for the Olympic Games, is also under threat. Paul Dietschy, a professor of history and sport at the University of Franche-Comte in France, told AFP: "The things the organizing committee is most worried about are crime, and of course terrorism, as well as traffic... and the Interior Minister is the most important position."

Airport strike ahead of the Olympics

In another development on Monday, unions representing workers at ADP, the operator of Paris's two main airports, said they had called for a strike next week to demand Olympic bonuses for all employees.

Protesters set off flares in Nantes, France, following the French parliamentary elections. Photo: AP

Paris airports will be the main gateway into France for foreign visitors attending the Olympic Games, with an estimated 350,000 people transiting through them each day, as well as most of the athletes and their equipment.

The strike, scheduled for July 17, will take place just before athletes are due to move into the newly constructed Olympic Village north of Paris.

Police officers, air traffic controllers, garbage collectors, government employees, subway and train drivers, and firefighters all requested pay increases ahead of the Olympics, hoping to leverage this leverage.

On the eve of the 1998 World Cup in France, the last time the country hosted a major sporting event, pilots of the national airline Air France went on strike the night before kick-off along with taxi drivers and other transport workers.

In France, the election completely overshadowed this prestigious sporting event, with local media paying more attention to political maneuvering than to the new sports facilities nearing completion around the capital, Paris.

"If Macron hadn't dissolved parliament, there would have been a little more enthusiasm for the Olympics," Professor Dietschy said. "You don't really feel the excitement building. Most French people are already focused on the election."

Bui Huy (according to France24, AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nuoc-phap-roi-vao-tinh-trang-hon-loan-truoc-them-olympic-2024-post302729.html