(Paris) The legislative elections in France are “a democratic process which will not disrupt the Olympic Games”, said Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday on the sidelines of a school visit to Paris, following the announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly.
“We see great unity in favor of the Olympics in Paris,” Thomas Bach hammered home. At his side, Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of Paris, the host city of the Olympics, assured that “nothing will spoil the Olympics” even if she considered it “extremely disturbing” that a dissolution was decided “just before the Olympics.” “The Games are coming, we are ready, the Games will take place in a very nice atmosphere,” she said.
“France is used to having elections and they are going to do it again, we will have a new government and a new Parliament and everyone will support the Olympics,” declared Thomas Bach, regarding the possible consequences of this election the second round of which is scheduled three weeks before the opening of the Summer Games.
Asked whether she could “welcome the world” with a possible far-right prime minister, Anne Hidalgo replied: “I will welcome the world as mayor of Paris, with the President of the Republic, the IOC President and Tony Estanguet,” she underlined.
“We are determined to deliver these great Games,” explained Tony Estanguet, the head of the Olympic Organizing Committee.
“We have already faced adaptations which have been significant, around ten elections since the creation of the candidacy committee, we have always known how to work with public actors, we are in the last phase […] the main decisions have have already all been taken, we are in the operational phase,” he summarized.