Europeans in force, but without the Russians, an Israeli delegation under high surveillance, the American first lady, but also crowned heads: a hundred heads of state and government are expected in Paris to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine on Friday.
“We feel ready to welcome the world,” assures Samuel Ducroquet, French ambassador for sport, responsible for orchestrating the reception of dignitaries from around the world within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, neither the Élysée nor the Quai d’Orsay have communicated the list of these personalities due to possible last-minute changes.
Europeans without Russia
One certainty: Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the conspicuous absentee, Russia having been banished as a nation due to the war in Ukraine launched by Moscow in February 2022.
kyiv, for its part, has not yet said whether Volodymyr Zelensky will be present on Friday.
The new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who wants to strengthen ties with France, will attend the river parade.
Paris 2024 is “a big event for France, but also for the United Kingdom,” said Menna Rawlings, the British ambassador to France. While 500,000 tickets have been sold in the United Kingdom, it is for her “a major consular issue.”
Other Europeans expected to attend include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Jill Biden
Her husband, Joe Biden, has withdrawn from the US presidential campaign, but the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, has confirmed her presence. And it is none other than Douglas Emhoff, the husband of the American vice president, Kamala Harris, now in the race for the White House, who will attend the closing ceremony.
Israeli delegation under high surveillance
Despite what Tehran says, which on Tuesday called for Israel to be banned from the Olympics because of the war in Gaza, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be present, under very high surveillance.
The head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Jibril Rajoub, will represent the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
Gulf States ?
The presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman or the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, remains a mystery.
Only the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was seen in Paris at the traditional pre-Games session.
Argentina, Brazil, China at the rendezvous
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be making the trip, but he will be represented at a high level by Vice President Han Zheng.
Brazilian President Lula has entrusted his wife, Rosangela, with the national representation, unlike Argentine President Javier Milei and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, who have confirmed their attendance.
Will they come or not? The participation of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is uncertain, as is that of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Africa is not left out
The presidents of Gabon, Brice Oligui Nguema, and of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, will not be missing, but the presence of their Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya, has not been officially confirmed.
The new Senegalese president, Diomaye Faye, who met Emmanuel Macron on June 20, will return to Paris. On the other hand, the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, will not make the trip.
For Niger, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Sports, Abdoulaye Mohamadou, will lead the delegation. The opening ceremony will coincide with the first anniversary of the coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Crowned heads
British Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, and Prince Albert of Monaco arrived on Monday to attend the IOC meeting. The King of Spain, Philip VI, is also expected.
Denmark will be represented by the royal couple, Frederik X and Queen Mary, as well as Princess Benedikte, the sovereign’s octogenarian aunt.
King Philippe of Belgium and his wife, Mathilde, will also be present.
Throw down the weapons
As conflicts rage from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Olympics will be an occasion for intense diplomatic activity.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will issue a message calling for people around the world to “lay down their arms.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called for “an Olympic truce.”