Forget the politics; relish the spectacle. That was, in essence, Emmanuel Macron’s hopeful message this week, as he called for a domestic “truce” while Paris stages its first summer Olympic Games for 100 years. Following the president’s ill-advised election gamble, which almost opened the gates of power to the far right, the host nation finds itself consigned to a form of rudderless political limbo. At present, there is no proper answer to the question: “Who governs France?” But following Friday’s opening ceremony, a fortnight of excellence on track and field will offer a welcome diversion to a divided nation.
At a time when the geopolitical outlook furnishes few reasons to be cheerful, the same goes for the billions expected to tune in around the world. As the dreams and ambitions of more than 10,000 athletes are pursued, the stage is set for perhaps the most visually sumptuous Olympics of modern times. Adopting an approach of “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”, and avoiding the cost of building expensive new infrastructure, organisers are taking the Games into the streets of one of the world’s most instantly recognisable cities.
