Six months before the Paris Olympics, in a tense international context, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced on Wednesday a spectator gauge for the opening ceremony significantly revised downwards, with 300,000 spectators, very far from the initial ambitions .
Tony Estanguet, the president of the organizing committee for the Paris Olympic Games, reacted this Wednesday:
“We have been working for many months with the authorities on the preparation of this ceremony.
The Minister of the Interior is on the front line, it is he who guarantees the safety of spectators, particularly on the high platforms.
Paris 2024 has a very strong responsibility for the organization of the low platforms.
On the high quays, it is the public actors who decide.
It's evolving, we've known from the start that it's something that will evolve until spring 2024, when we'll open the ticket office for the public.
The gauge will continue to evolve.”
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“We don’t want to crowd people into areas where the experience would be disappointing”
Asked whether he is disappointed with the 500,000 initially announced, he adds that
“no, there has never been a totem number”
:
“The objective is to offer the maximum number of opportunities for the general public.
We will be among several hundred thousand people whatever happens, and 60,000 at the Stade de France.
We must offer a good experience, and therefore work on the construction of the show, offer good visibility and maximum security.
We don't want to crowd people into areas where the experience would be disappointing.
I greatly respect the decisions taken by the State and in particular by the Minister of the Interior.”
And to conclude:
“We said that until spring 2024 and the opening of the ticket office the gauge could change.
We want to wait as late as possible to open the ticket office, precisely to give ourselves the conditions for success, and to ensure that this event takes place in good conditions.