Is divided France ready for an Olympic party?

Paris Olympics organizers have promised a “great national party” for the country, but with 100 days to go, France's bitter politics and gloomy mentality are dampening the mood.

Those involved in running the Games, particularly chief organizer Tony Estanguet, remain tirelessly optimistic and encourage their compatriots to look on the bright side.

“My job is to explain that it is a fantastic opportunity for our country to host this event, to welcome the world and also to show what this country intends to do and deliver,” he said last Wednesday to reporters.

However, he said he was not surprised to hear complaints and doubts.

“We all know that there are always a lot of questions and concerns before such a major event,” he said.

The construction work is going according to plan and the budget is likely to be relatively limited compared to the huge failures at the games in Athens, London or Rio de Janeiro.

French President Emmanuel Macron appeared slightly frustrated at the inauguration of a new aquatics center in early April, speaking as if the public and media were not giving the organizers the credit they deserved.

“Take a bit of perspective and look at the history of previous Games,” the 46-year-old urged reporters, promising that the Paris edition would make the nation “proud”.

– 'On the defensive' –

Instead of pride, the buildup has been marred by disputes that are at the heart of a bitter national debate about identity and race.

Influential far-right politicians criticized the Games' official poster – a depiction of a Paris landmark missing a Christian cross – as well as the selection of artists for the opening ceremony on July 26.

The prospect of a performance by French-Malian R&B superstar Aya Nakamura caused an uproar among conservatives, who criticized her perceived “vulgarity” – something the French culture minister described as “pure racism.”

Herve Le Bras, a veteran sociologist, said he was skeptical that the Olympics could serve as a national holiday.

“Instead, there are many proposals to highlight the major rifts in France – particularly the rift between Paris and the rest of the country,” he told AFP in an interview.

Le Bras wrote a book in 2018 called “Feeling bad in a France that it well,” which explored the paradox of the national psyche.

Why does the country feel so bad despite being one of the richest in the world, having one of the most generous social security systems and having a lifestyle that is the envy of the world?

A major poll by the Ipsos Group last September found that eight in 10 people thought the country was in decline, and almost one in two said they were angry and conflicted.

In another era — for example, during France's decades of bullish postwar expansion — the country might have been more willing to celebrate the Olympics, Le Bras suggests.

“We had the feeling back then that everything was moving towards progress. We are no longer in such a phase,” he said. “We’re on the defensive.”

Jean Viard, another well-known sociologist, believes that the threat of terrorism and wars in Europe and the Middle East is weighing on people.

“We live in a time when there is a climate threat that feels like a war on climate, the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel,” he told AFP. “People feel like they are surrounded by violence.”

– money worries –

The Olympics are also taking place at a time when the rising cost of living is causing economic hardship and the often high ticket prices for events are difficult to bear.

“At all levels of society you hear the same thing: 'We organize a show, we pay for it, but we can't take part,'” says Paul Dietschy, a sports historian at the Université de Bourgogne. Franche-Comte in eastern France, AFP said.

Many unions have threatened strikes to push for wage increases.

Other worries include the rapidly rising national debt – just as new estimates emerge suggesting taxpayers could end up with an Olympics bill of up to five billion euros ($5.4 billion).

And the shiny new Olympic Village has been unveiled at a time when the country is facing a housing crisis.

“That worries people,” said Le Bras.

Although previous polls have shown majority support for the Olympics, a March 25 poll by the Viavoice Group found that 57 percent of respondents felt “little” or “no” enthusiasm for the Paris Olympics.

The deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, believes the mood will change.

“During the Games, everyone was a little bit worried about safety, and now that’s really changing,” he said recently.

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