The unfulfilled promises for Paris 2024 since its candidacy

Since the candidacy of Paris to house the Olympic Games and its achievement in 2017, the project has undergone multiple changes by its organizers and public administrations.

These are the main promises unfulfilled by Paris-2024 during these seven years:

Popular games?

The price of tickets, considered by many to be very high, does not correspond to the promised popular Games, despite the fact that the organizers defend that the cost of the tickets is similar to that of those of London-2012.

Another aspect that calls into question the popularity of the event refers to the unprecedented opening ceremony scheduled in the Seine, but which has undergone important changes, especially in the number of spectators who will be able to see it live.

If at first the Paris City Hall wanted a massive event, announcing an attendance of 600,000 people (with half a million free tickets), as the date approached and for security reasons, the number was reduced to 222,000 people, maintaining the 100,000 paid tickets .

And the philosophy has changed too. If at first it was thought that spectators who wanted to attend would sign up for a kind of raffle through a platform, now all attendees will be invited directly by public administrations and the organizing committee.

Public money

Contrary to the widespread idea among public opinion, there will be a large amount of private money that will finance the Games.

However, the slogan “The Games finance the Games” used by the French government for months.

The different French public administrations have already invested more than 2.4 billion euros (US$ 2.65 billion) in infrastructure, urban works, but also in the anti-doping laboratory, for example.

The amount of the final bill is unknown at the moment, which will have to include the cost related to security, the bonuses paid to officials, including police officers. “There will be no tax-Games”reiterates French President Emmanuel Macron, despite the fact that many expenses for the Games will come from public coffers.

The president of the Court of Auditors, Pierre Moscovici, recently estimated that the final public investment will be between “the 3,000 and 5,000 million euros”. The answer will come after the event.

From the free metro to the 4 euro ticket

Although the candidacy dossier announced that “All ticket holders will be able to travel free of charge on all public transport in the Paris region on the day of that competition.”, in the end it will not be the case.

In December 2022 it changed its mind to seek additional income following a budget review.

Several months later, the public transport operator of the Paris region announced special prices during the Games: 4 euros for a single metro ticket! An increase of almost double compared to current prices that was tried to be justified with the fact that public transport traffic will increase by 15% during the event.

An Olympic pool without swimming

One of the few sports facilities built expressly for the Games is the Olympic Aquatic Center (OAC) located in Saint Denis, next to the Stade de France. However, the swimming events will not finally be held in this brand new complex, since for budgetary reasons, the capacity was reduced to 5,000 spectators, a third of what the international federation (World Aquatics) requires to hold an international swimming competition. swimming.

Thus, the water polo, artistic swimming and diving events will be held at the CAO, while the pool stars will have to go to the other side of the capital, to La Défense Arena, which will host the races of one of the main sports of the games.

Environmental impact, from positive to neutral

Initially it was announced that the environmental impact of the Games would be “positive”, with the idea of ​​offsetting CO2 emissions, but the project was later scrapped.

Several experts had already criticized even the initial idea, for giving the misleading idea that the event would not have an environmental impact.

Now, the organization aims to reduce CO2 emissions by half, which are calculated as follows: one third are related to transportation, another third to the construction of infrastructure and the remaining third to activities directly linked to the Games (accommodation, security, restaurants, etc.).