PARIS (AP) — With just three weeks to go until the Olympics, excitement building in the host city is mixing with anxiety about France's political future.
The strong showing of the far-right Rally National party in the first round of fast-track elections darkened the mood for many in left-wing stronghold Paris, one of the few French cities where the party failed to make a breakthrough.
“The idea of the far right running the country makes me panic,” Fabienne Martin, 54, said after lunch with her son in the upscale Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. “There was excitement when the Olympic torch arrived in Marseille, but these elections have completely ruined that mood.”
Although the outcome is uncertain, the second round of parliamentary elections, to be held on July 7, is expected to be led by Marine Le Pen. National Meeting may gain power.
In Paris, the Rally National won just 10 percent of the vote in the first round on Sunday, compared with a national average of 33 percent, but the prospect of France installing its first far-right government since World War II has shifted attention away from the city hosting its first Summer Olympics in 100 years.
“I feel nervous, stressed, anxious about how things will turn out,” said Marius Roumier, a 28-year-old screenwriter, eating a croissant at a cafe in central Paris.
For him, the Olympics became a sideshow.
“I don't know if my interest will be rekindled once the election is over,” he said.
The Paris Olympics are set to kick off on July 26 with a historic four-hour opening ceremony featuring a boat parade on the Seine. The city is buzzing with activity in preparation for the unprecedented games that will incorporate some of the world's most famous monuments. While construction crews are still building various Olympic sites, from the base of the Eiffel Tower to the Place de la Concorde, organizers insist that everything will be ready on schedule and that the elections will not disrupt preparations.
“France is going through a great democratic moment,” organizer Tony Estanguet said this week. “We must stay in our position so that all French people can enjoy the Games they are looking forward to.”
Estanguet, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in canoeing, has been careful to stay out of politics as head of the organizing committee.
While Parisians fret over the election, many foreign tourists seem either unaware or unconcerned about the political situation, enjoying masterpieces at the Louvre or having their picture taken in front of the Olympic rings hanging at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
“I think most people are interested in the Olympics, not politics,” said Young-mook Park, 44, a tourist from South Korea, as he took a photo of Paris' historic City Hall through a construction barrier.
President Emmanuel Macron called early elections, gambling that the far-right would not win another national election after its defeat to the National Rally in last month's European elections. But that plan backfired and Macron's party is now desperately trying to stop Le Pen's party from winning a majority in the second round.
At a food market in Batignolles, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of Macron's Renaissance party said: Campaign On Tuesday he met with Stanislas Guerini, one of the ministers at risk of losing his seat in the National Assembly.
Thierry Chenel, a 54-year-old butcher who watched the procession pass his shop, followed by a swarm of cameras, said he was indifferent to the movement.
“Frankly, all I care about is bringing more customers to the store. Is Atal bringing more customers? No,” he said, frustrated.
Chesnel said he too isn't feeling any excitement about the Olympics.
“All I see at these Olympics is that little flag,” he said, pointing to the Olympic rings hanging above his stand.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-Paris-Olympics
