Major media outlets evaluated the conclusion of the Paris Olympics as a success while also focusing on French President Emmanuel Macron’s future political maneuvers. The Olympics lasted 17 days, with the closing ceremony yesterday.
The Washington Post reported that the Paris Olympics represented a high-stakes gamble fraught with risks, including terrorist attacks, cyber assaults, crowd crushes at outdoor events, labor strikes, political tensions, extreme heat, bedbugs, and challenges associated with swimming in the Seine River. It added that most of these risks were successfully mitigated.
Reuters observed that situating temporary venues among global landmarks was an excellent strategy to avoid budget waste. This effectively transformed the Olympics into an accessible outdoor stage inviting all, ticketed or not. It noted that despite various challenges, the Paris Olympics were successful.
Furthermore, the media highlighted that Macron would resolve the political crisis.
AFP commented that although the Olympics surpassed the expectations of many in France, President Macron is poised to confront the harsh realities of a political stalemate. Whether the Olympics will ignite new momentum for the remaining three years of Macron’s challenging term remains to be seen.
The Wall Street Journal urged that as the Olympics conclude, the enthusiastic fan—referring to Macron—must shift his focus back to the governance and daily running of the country.
The article further noted that the person perhaps most apprehensive about the Olympics’ conclusion in France might be the head of state himself. Macron has announced a parade on the Champs-Élysées for the French Olympic medalists on the 14th to extend the celebrations.
WSJ and WP predicted Marcon would face pressure to appoint a new prime minister while handling a divided parliament.
French political scientist Dominique Moïsi compared the current political situation in France to 1998. In particular, former President Jacques Chirac declared the multicultural French soccer team a “model of unity” after their historic World Cup victory, which had a positive effect. However, Moïsi noted that it was temporary, as Chirac didn’t accomplish anything significant for the rest of his term, and France’s racial divisions persisted.
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