LETTER | With all eyes focused on the Olympic Games Paris 2024, to be held from July 26 - Aug 11, the political situation in France is of major concern.
The latest media reports indicate that the French authorities have been warned of terror threats during the Olympics.
President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to hold an election just a few weeks before the Olympics caught many by surprise.
The political and social situation has been destabilised by the election results and demonstrations by far-right groups, leftists, as well as centrists from Macron’s party, some of which have been disorderly and violent.
The situation has not been resolved yet as France is headed for a hung parliament and more political problems and instability could ensue in the future weeks. Macron could have been more circumspect and waited until the Summer Olympics was over.
Furthermore, the hugely popular Euro football tournament was also going on in Germany. France had booked a semi-final berth but lost to eventual champions, Spain.
With all these happening around, Macron could have delayed the election.
Recent Olympics have also been plagued with various problems. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was delayed and held a year late due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the 2016 Olympics, there were large-scale protests and demonstrations in Brazil against the holding of the multi-sport event as protesters felt that the money could be used for more urgent expenditure for the poor, especially on welfare and medical programmes.
In the last few decades, beginning from the terrorist attack during the Munich Olympics in 1972 followed by the boycott of the Moscow and Atlanta Olympics in 1980 and 1984, many groups have used the run-up to the sporting event to highlight various issues.
Most of the issues raised concern the high cost of hosting the quadrennial multi-sport Games, international neglect of environmental issues and climate change, human rights, protests against wars, issues concerning poverty and deprivation, and many others.
There is a possibility that there could be protests by Palestinians and their supporters against the increasing number of civilian casualties and the continuing war in Gaza, during the Olympics.
France has a large Muslim population due to migration from Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, and other North Western African countries.
It is hoped that the political situation will not deteriorate in France and jeopardise the smooth running of the Olympics.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has become more dangerous recently and a major escalation cannot be ruled out during the duration of the Olympics.
As if all these problems are not enough, the threat of a scorching summer heatwave has been predicted in Paris and other cities by various European metrological stations.
France has made preparations for a grand Olympics extravaganza and it is hoped that the XXXIII Olympiad will be eventful, colourful, and viewed by billions as well as unearth many new sporting talents from a larger array of countries other than the usual winners.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
