“We’re not going to be ready”… The controversy in 3 acts – L’Express

Were not going to be ready… The controversy in 3

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games continue to crystallize tensions. Especially since seven months before the event, fears relating to the organization as well as the process are increasing. Quarrels therefore regularly appear, encouraged by the sharing of prerogatives between the different levels of the State: the city, the region and the government.

At the heart of the debate since Wednesday November 22, the question of transport raised by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo on the TMC channel. A media outing which was not viewed favorably by the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune and the president of the Ile-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse. The two political leaders were quick to come to the fore after the words of the councilor, already weakened by the “Tahiti Gate”. Return to the controversy in three acts.

Act I: Hidalgo alerts on the question of transport

The 2024 Olympics? “We will be ready.” In any case, this is what Anne Hidalgo has been insisting for weeks at press conferences, on television sets, on national radio stations. However, this Wednesday, November 22, the mayor of Paris expressed two reservations “on which we are not going to be ready”: the question of housing for the homeless, and that of transport.

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“We are still in difficulty, already, in daily transport, and we cannot manage to catch up with the level of punctuality, of comfort for Parisians,” she observes. And to point out problems with the frequency and number of trains available. In particular in the future RER E Porte Maillot station.

A responsibility which falls, according to the mayor of Paris, both to the Ile-de-France region and to the government. “But we do all this together, so I feel concerned too,” she conceded.

Act II – Beaune reacts with humor

Which did not prevent arousing the ire of the Minister of Transport. “Madame Hidalgo is not there, does not participate in work meetings but has an opinion for others”, reprimands this Thursday, November 23 Clément Beaune who denounces a lack of “seriousness” and “respect for our public officials and for the Parisians !”

Already the day before, the minister had reacted quickly, playing the cynicism card, by publishing a famous meme (image, video or humorous text widely distributed on the Internet, particularly on social networks, and subject to numerous variations, Editor’s note) on his X account (formerly Twitter). Implicitly, “participate in the 8 strategic committees on transport to prepare Paris 2024”, no. But “trying to create buzz on Quotidien”, yes.

Act III – “We will be ready”, promises Pécresse

Entangled in the scandal of her trip to Tahiti, the mayor of Paris appears increasingly isolated on the French political scene. And the reactions which followed his appearance on the Quotidien show on Wednesday only confirm the observation.

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The president of the Ile-de-France region Valérie Pécresse thus joined the wrath of Clément Beaune, also denouncing “an absent mayor” who denigrates “the immense collective work” carried out to “be up to the task” in next July.

While thanking the RATP and SNCF agents “for their mobilization”, the president of the Ile-de-France region brushed aside the concerns expressed by the socialist councilor on Quotidien, assuring that “we will be ready” to host the 2024 Olympics next July.

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