In a preliminary report revealed Thursday by the Canard Enchaîné, the institution recommends “anticipate a general and massive mobilisation of material and human resources to ensure security”.
The Court of Auditors is sounding the alarm about preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In a confidential 76-page report, revealed by Le Canard enchaîné and of which AFP has read, the Court insists on the “to anticipate a general and massive mobilisation of material and human resources to ensure the security of the Games”. A final version of this report is expected by the end of the year.
Deeming it “imperative” to accelerate the pace to meet the “considerable” security challenge represented by this event, the Court of Auditors lists all the shortcomings to be taken into account: hospital capacity, public safety, health, terrorist risks, cyber risks, problem acceptance of the games by the population…
Two years before the deadline, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron will meet on Monday, July 25 at the Elysée Palace with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin in particular to take stock.
Ensure the security of the opening ceremony
The Court obviously evokes the opening ceremony, unprecedented. Ardently desired by Emmanuel Macron and the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, it is designed as a great river parade on the Seine and accessible to the public. It was planned in the initial project armada of 200 boats and 600,000 spectators. Unsurprisingly, the report suggests reducing the fleet, conducting simulations ahead of the ceremony and adjusting the schedule of events on the day and the day after the opening ceremony to “relieve the pressure on the security forces “.
“We are extremely humbled by the security challenges raised by the organization of these Olympic Games and we are working in close collaboration with all the services concerned,” the organizing committee of the Olympic Games told AFP.
Reduce Torch Relay Route
Another subject of concern, the safety of the Olympic torch relay, scheduled from mid-April to July 26, 2024, a journey of 80 days for a course of approximately 12,000 km. The Court notes that the route could be reduced and recommends entrusting the responsibility to the gendarmerie, given its experience in securing the Tour de France.
Another salient point raised by the Court of Auditors, the pre-report pleads for a “global action plan” in terms of cybersecurity, because of the “massive development risks”. To prevent drone attacks, it is suggested the establishment of a “low-altitude 3D bubble to secure the airspace around sites and places of celebrations”. “There are a certain number of recommendations in this report on which we are already working”, underlined the Paris 2024 committee which already ensured in June 2022, to make security issues a priority.
Source: FranceTV
