180,000 euros. This is the price that must be paid to bring the Olympic flame to the areas. An amount considered too high by several French departments, such as Haute-Vienne, Creuse or Loire-Atlantique.
At a time when the 2024 Olympic Games are being hosted in Paris, tensions are beginning to arise. In December 2021, the organizing committee for the games decided that the departmental councils would have the task of organizing the passage of the Olympic flame in the areas. To participate, each department has to pay a contribution of 180,000 euros (150,000 euros excluding tax).
A high rate that represents almost half of the subsidies that are awarded annually to the sports associations of a department. As a result, in order to respect their annual budgets, several chairmen and chairmen of departmental councils have no choice but to give up their participation in the symbolic round of the Olympic torch. This is the case for Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Haute-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Côtes-d’Armor or even Lot-et-Garonne.
† I saw this passage in our department as a reward for the local initiatives of volunteerss. The price being asked is a scary amount that is important for the budget of our area† †
Jean-Claude Leblois, President of the Haute-Vienne Departmental Council, quoted by Le Figaro
In addition to the claimed 180,000 euros (to be paid back over three years), there are also the various activities that will take place during the festivities and that are the responsibility of the community. By rejecting the offer of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organizing Committee (COJO), these departments hope that the contribution will be reduced and adapted to the resources of each area.
To be continued.