Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “spoiling the party” of the imminent Olympic Games with his call for early legislative elections.
“I received the announcement of the dissolution very badly [da Assembleia Nacional] just before the Games. I was convinced it would be later. In a gesture of mistreatment of the French people, the president is spoiling the party. Why spoil this beautiful moment with these elections decided at the last minute, without consulting anyone?”, lamented the socialist mayor to the newspaper Ouest France.
However, Hidalgo, mayor since 2014, stated that the results of the elections (the second round will be on July 7) will have no influence on the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26.
“Paris is ready to host the Games and the Olympic celebration. It will be a beautiful popular party. I’m excited,” she proclaimed. Regarding security, the issue that most concerns the authorities, she said that “everything is under control”.
“An event like this obviously involves risks, but services [de segurança] of all countries are cooperating effectively”, he guaranteed.
Hidalgo is also confident that the waters of the River Seine will be clean enough to allow triathlon and water marathon events to take place.
Analysis released last week suggested that the water quality was not suitable for swimming, due to heavy rain in recent weeks.
“We need a good bit of time now. Last year, the Seine was suitable for swimming for most of the summer, and we’ve done a lot since then. I’m very confident,” she commented.
The mayor assured that she herself will bathe in the Seine “after July 14 and before the opening ceremony”, an event to which she will invite Macron. “Let’s see if he wants to come swimming,” she declared.
Hidalgo is a friend of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to whom she gave the title of honorary citizen of Paris in March 2020.
The Council of the French capital, equivalent to the City Council, had approved the granting of the honor the previous year, when Lula was still imprisoned in Curitiba.
At the time, Paris City Hall cited that the title was a recognition of “Lula’s engagement in reducing social and economic inequalities in Brazil” and policies “against racial discrimination”.
Macron called early elections for the National Assembly after the right-wing nationalist National Regroupment (RN) party, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, received the most votes in the French elections for the European Parliament, held on June 9. (With EFE Agency)
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