The Paris Olympics brought a stunning summer triumph that captivated the world and revitalized French national pride, however, the aftermath will be challenging. With Sunday’s closing ceremony concluding the sporting spectacle, President Emmanuel Macron must now address a self-created political crisis he postponed until the Games were over. Talks about government positions and budget cuts loom, with voter anger likely to follow.
“Now we have to wake up from this beautiful dream,” said Christine Frant, 64, at the Club France fan zone last weekend. “Such a shame we’re going to return to our day-to-day routine, with no government, squabbles in parliament, while here it was all about joy and sharing,” she said. Macron seemed to cast doubt on the entire fate of the Olympics when he called a snap legislative election just weeks before the Games were due to begin.
Voters delivered a hung parliament . Choosing a prime minister who can satisfy Macron’s centrist camp, a leftist alliance, and the far-right National Rally has proven difficult. After days of political maneuvering following the July 7 vote , Macron declared a political truce for the duration of the Games, giving himself until mid-August to appoint a prime minister and allow political parties to negotiate.
The mysterious sabotage of railway and telecom targets at the start of the Games seemed like an ominous sign, but the event proceeded without further security issues. Macron retreated to his presidential res.