The Minister of Transport Clément Beaune on Sunday judged “shameful” the comments of the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo on the unpreparedness of Parisian public transport to absorb the 800,000 additional travelers linked to the Olympic Games in the summer of 2024.
“Ms. Hidalgo’s comments are shameful” and constitute a “political betrayal,” judged the minister on RTL, calling her a “bad mayor of Paris,” and also confirming her personal interest in “one day” becoming a candidate for municipal elections in the capital city. “Will the infrastructure be ready on time? Yes. Is there still work? Yes,” added Clément Beaune, like Clément Hidalgo, from the Socialist Party.
“We will meet this historic challenge”
Interviewed on the show Daily from TMC this week, the mayor of Paris spoke of “two things for which we are not going to be ready”, namely “transport” and “sheltering people without a fixed home”. In particular, it targeted the future Porte Maillot RER E station, an area where many activities linked to the Olympic Games will be concentrated.
“We are on time and we will meet this historic challenge,” replied the Minister of Transport. “Metro line 14 “will be extended to the north and south, it’s on time,” he detailed, judging that the Porte Maillot station would also be ready.
“I don’t believe” that Anne Hidalgo “is a good mayor of Paris”
Clément Beaune regretted that the mayor of Paris did not participate in the monthly committee of all the actors involved in these issues. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Ile-de-France region and of Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) “comes to work every time, Ms. Hidalgo never,” noted Clément Beaune.
Furthermore confirming his interest in a personal political commitment “later” in Paris, with a view to the next municipal elections, he continued: “I will not let go of this commitment to Paris, I did not choose this place at random (.. .), it’s where I was born, it’s the place where I live, it’s the place where I want to get involved.”
“I don’t believe” that Anne Hidalgo “is a good mayor of Paris,” insisted Clément Beaune at the end of the show. “When we are ready to sacrifice the image of France to extinguish a controversy on a doubtful subject (a controversy surrounding a trip by the mayor of Paris to Polynesia, Editor’s note), we are not up to the task of France,” criticized the minister.