France holds its last party for the Paris Olympics

On September 14, 2024, news from Paris. France ended a delightful summer with a grand parade, the last party held to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 460 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including 120 Paris Olympic medalists, held a grand parade on the Champs-Élysées. About 70,000 spectators lined the sides of the road. The parade ended at a circular stage around the Arc de Triomphe monument. Hundreds of Olympic volunteers, representatives and municipal officials also participated in the event.

The organizers created a sports celebration comparable to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics. President Emmanuel Macron and new Prime Minister Michel Barnier attended the event. Macron awarded the National Order of Merit to 120 French Olympic medalists. 187 French athletes were awarded the Legion of Honor or the National Order of Merit, but not all of them participated in the parade.

Macron's praise of the Olympic spirit takes place against the background of a harsh political reality and deep social division. The legislative elections in July were inconclusive. Facing a parliament without a majority party, social tensions and debt problems, Macron appointed veteran conservative Barnier to form a new government. This decision sparked anger among the left-wing coalition and there is no majority in the lower house of France. Barnier said he will propose ministerial candidates next week. The New Popular Front coalition vowed to protest and condemn, insisting that the president ignored the results of the popular vote.