Paris 2024 Olympics: why Creuse cannot afford the Olympic flame


La Creuse announced on Monday that it was giving up the passage of the Olympic flame, before the 2024 Olympics, the organization’s budget being too large and entirely at the expense of the departments. A great disappointment for the vice-president of the county council, who says she still hopes that a solution will be found.

“It’s disappointment, sadness”, loose Marie-Christine Bunlon, mayor of Blaudeix, a small village of 100 Creusois, and vice-president of the departmental council in charge of sports policies and college life. The elected official begins by emphasizing that Creuse has not “refused” to welcome the Olympic flame: “She cannot afford it” because the passing of the torch requires an organization and an expensive device, up to 150,000 euros, solely at the expense of the department.

A symbol in smoke

“It represents half of the amount I pay to sports associations!” exclaims Marie-Christine Bunlon. We have incompressible costs, particularly in terms of social policies, we cannot afford to spend such a sum. The inhabitants themselves would not have understood”. The proposal of the organizing committee of the Paris Games 2024 is therefore declined, soberly. The carriers had to cross all the departments of France, so they will at least bypass the Creuse.

It is “a whole symbol” which is moving away for one of the least populated departments of France, and which has benefited from significant financial support from the State since 2019. “One of the oldest departments” , also, concedes the mayor of Blaudeix, one of those who struggle to retain their youth. “To have the flame was to offer all athletes a gift, she regrets. It was to give youth a boost, to show them that yes, in the Creuse too, they deserve it”.

A call for help

The amount to be paid to see the torch pass should not have been fixed but “adapted to the territories, to the number of inhabitants for example”, explains Marie-Christine Bunlon. “It would have been fairer,” she defends. A few weeks after President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Creuse, focused on desertification, the elected “still hopes that a solution will be found, especially if Creuse is the only territory where the flame does not pass”, adds – her before making a call. “Come help us! We too would like to see her pass, but come help us.”



Source link -78