The Olympic flame is on its way to France and the host communities of Seine-Saint-Denis have begun to proudly display the five rings. In Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen or Ile-Saint-Denis, the mayors are eagerly awaiting the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP). The municipality of Saint-Denis even installed a countdown on its website.
Aquatic center, athletes’ village, media cluster, Adidas Arena, athletics track of a renovated Stade de France… Each inauguration of new equipment by the Games Organizing Committee (Cojop) and the national and local authorities gives rise to an impressive communication device. The mayors of the host cities are deployed everywhere to praise the benefits of the JOP: they are a “tremendous asset” for Paris, but also for these poor and working-class cities which border the capital, these left-wing elected officials tirelessly plead. A little seductive music which unabashedly celebrates the values of peace and self-improvement that the event would carry.
The JOP have, however, often been criticized by the progressive forces of the host countries for their excess, the billions wasted, the timely tax exemption of investments, the high price of tickets, the greenwashing of sponsors or the corruption of some within the organizing bodies. . This time, the story carried by all the left-wing elected officials is resolutely positive. “80% of Solideo’s investments [Société de livraison des ouvrages olympiques] are being done in Seine-Saint-Denis: this will be a real factor of changeunderlines Stéphane Troussel, socialist president of the departmental council, who swears not to be “JO-smug”. We will have a legacy that will make other departments pale in comparison. »
“A leverage effect for all our projects”
If Paris was able to develop the La Chapelle district (18e arrondissement) and accelerate the cleaning of the Seine, the 93 has in fact seen the flourishing of stadiums, swimming pools and athletes’ accommodation – soon converted into housing – and obtained many renovated facilities and decontaminated green spaces. The JOPs are therefore an opportunity for this department to make up for a gap that has been repeatedly denounced. “The Games are a fantastic accelerator of urban renewal for the 93 and ecological conversion for Paris”assures Emmanuel Grégoire, first deputy to Anne Hidalgo’s Socialist Party (PS). “The impact is extremely positive, with a real logic of urban programming”adds Mathieu Hanotin, PS mayor of Saint-Denis, while Karim Bouamrane, PS chief magistrate of Saint-Ouen, explains “having joined the Olympics because they have a leverage effect for all our projects”.
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