“Let’s move and celebrate!” might be an ironic theme for an international sporting event amidst various worldwide controversies, but that’s the message coming out of Paris, France. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will commence on July 26, and will be the city’s first major event since hosting the World Cup in 1998. The French Olympic Committee is depicting an event of unity and celebration among participants and viewers around the world — despite the games taking place as crises and wars are waging on, from Ukraine and Russia to Israel and Palestine.
On Oct. 19, 2023, Parisian Police searched and raided France’s Olympic headquarters in Paris as part of an anti-corruption operation, investigating how contracts for sponsorship, construction, and team services were granted. The contents of the contracts are yet to be made public by the investigators, and Paris maintains that they have safeguards to ensure “transparency and propriety” in game related contracts. This is the third time the Summer Olympics have been plagued by graft accusations, following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Games.
The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee has ensured their cooperation with the investigators on the matter, which does provide a sense of accountability. However, it has prompted many to question whether France’s politics had any involvement in the scandal. Concerns regarding an undisclosed contract signed by Paris organizers, as well as possible misuse of public funds — and favoritism — were expressed by the prosecutor’s office. The French government has made it a top priority to confront these corruption cases.
The host nation has also been met with staunch resistance by climate activists due to France being one of the top importers of oil in Europe — accounting for the production of over a million barrels a day and 64 per cent of global oil consumption.
The use of the Seine River for the games is another point of contention due to its high levels of pollution and chemical contamination. It has been reported that “residents fed up with the river pollution just weeks before Olympic athletes are set to dive in are threatening to stage a mass defecation in protest.”
France has indicated that preventative measures are being developed to protect contestants and citizens from being harmed during the games. As International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive Christophe Dubi has said, “We are confident that we will swim in the Seine this summer.”
Another issue concerning the Olympics is the status of Russian and Belarusian athletes whose nations have been subjects of intense sanctions by both the European Union and France. Many consider this an unfair violation of athletes’ individual rights and lack of separation between politics and sports, while others — largely Ukranians — consider this a just retaliation for the war in Ukraine.
Following the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the IOC initially suggested the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes in response to their nation’s actions. However, in January 2023, the IOC backtracked and made the exception to allow athletes from both nations to perform as “neutrals,” while prohibiting use of the nation’s flags and colours. According to the IOC, “The sanctions against those responsible for the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, remain in place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.” The IOC eventually came to the conclusion on Dec. 8, 2023 that it is in fact unfair to punish athletes based on their nationality — and rightly so.
France’s political scene, climate change advocacy by French citizens, and the country’s stance against the Russian axis, have all been part of topical discussion this Olympic season, and are proving to inform the way the French publicly conduct themselves in preparation for the games. Time will tell if their efforts to unite the world will be in vain, or if there will truly be a cause for celebration.
