Elisabeth Borne said on Thursday she had '
not planned to go to Qatar
' for the FIFA World Cup, as the host country comes under fire over the plight of migrant workers and the environmental cost of the competition .
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"
I have no plans to go to Qatar for the World Cup
," replied Ms. Borne, questioned on the subject by Konbini News.
“
I think our team will go to Qatar, and no doubt the Minister of Sports will have to go and support them
”, however indicated the Prime Minister in this video published Thursday (from 5”11).
"
Then we can actually note that the construction conditions of the stadiums can raise questions
," added Ms. Borne.
The deputies La France insoumise recently denounced the organization of this "
filthy cup
" in this Gulf state (November 19-December 18), denouncing "
the mistreatment of immigrant workers
" and the "
air-conditioned matches in the open air
", demanding a “
strong political response from the French authorities
”.
Read alsoParis, Lille, Marseille… These big cities which will boycott the Football World Cup
The debate had also agitated the hemicycle of the Assembly last August, during the ratification of a partnership between France and Qatar on the security of the competition.
France will send around 220 experts on site - GIGN, anti-drone control, mine clearance or search for explosives - to contribute to the security of the event, as part of an agreement signed in Doha on March 5, 2021.
Left-wing and RN deputies then denounced the “
ecological scandal
” of this competition and the non-respect of human rights.
Some major French cities have announced a boycott
In France, many cities - Paris, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Strasbourg ... - have announced a boycott of the competition, which they will not broadcast the matches on the big screen.
Among the reasons for this boycott are the treatment of immigrant workers, the number of deaths on the construction sites of the eight World Cup stadiums and the environmental cost of the event, most of the stadiums being equipped with an air conditioning system.
In French football, Qatar controls Paris SG, via the sovereign fund Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).