Awarding of 2030 Winter Games to France hinges on government’s financial guarantee – Technologist

The clock is ticking. There is less than a week for the promoters of the 2030 Winter Games to submit the French government’s letter of financial guarantee to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Without this precious key between now and Wednesday, July 24 – the day IOC members meet in Paris to officially announce the host country for the 2030 Games – there will be no Olympic rings in the French Alps.

It should have been a mere formality. The bid put forward by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions, and supported by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) and the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF), was the only one selected by the IOC at the end of November 2023.

The deck has been reshuffled by the dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale, followed by the institutional deadlock that resulted from early parliamentary elections. Only the official prime minister is authorized to sign this letter of guarantee, through which he stands surety in the event of a deficit. However, following the resignation of his government, PM Gabriel Attal does not have a substantive ongoing charge, and cannot take responsibility for committing the country.

“There’s a unique situation in France at the moment. We’ll see how this letter can be written or sent before the final decision. The [IOC] session is on July 24, that’s a fixed date. Now we’ll see, we still have a few days, but not too much time either,” warned IOC President Thomas Bach on Tuesday, July 16, during a visit to the Institut National du Sport, de l’Expertise et de la Performance (National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance) in Paris. The issue will debated beforehand, at the executive committee meeting of the organization based in Lausanne (Switzerland), on Saturday, July 20.

‘We started talking about money a bit late’

“It’s perfectly logical for the IOC to ask for this letter,” acknowledged David Lappartient, CNOSF president. “Without this guarantee, it cannot award the Games, as it would set a precedent,” added the man who is also an IOC member. However, Lappartient was confident: “I know that the president of the Republic is very committed to this issue. But I’ll be more reassured when I have the letter.”

A year ago, Emmanuel Macron spared no effort in supporting the French Alps’ bid. This was what finally convinced the IOC to enter into “targeted dialogue” with France, even though the country hadn’t even kicked off the Paris 2024 Summer Games.

Since then, Macron has consistently defended both projects. “France’s support for the 2030 Olympics remains full and complete, and this is what the president will express to the IOC within the expected timeframe,” the French Sports Ministry maintained.

You have 47.68% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.