Les Jeunes avec Macron from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes radio accuse environmental mayors of depriving their constituents of a “structuring event for our country”.
“To ruin people’s lives is the reason for living EELVs, all year round, on all subjects”by here. “After the Patrouille de France and the Tour de France, this is a new popular (and historic!) event that Lyon will not see”by there. A new charge against environmentalists is launched on social networks.
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It began with a tweet from Young people with Macron in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region which accuses the mayors of Lyon and Grenoble of breaking the atmosphere as the 2024 Olympics approach by refusing to pay to host the Olympic flame. “Neither Lyon nor Grenoble wanted to pay the sum requested by the Organizing Committee for the passage of the flame. A new structuring event for our country in which we will not participate. France is proud to welcome the Olympic Games, except EELV mayors”, they write. But things are actually more complex and these mayors are far from being the only ones, all political colors combined.
Neither Lyon nor Grenoble wanted to pay the sum requested by the Organizing Committee for the passage of the flame. A new structuring event for our country in which we will not participate. France is proud to host the Olympic Games, except for the EELV mayors. https://t.co/KBRkEmrYyi
— Youth with Macron – AuRA (@JeunesMacronARA) June 23, 2023
A third of the departments refused to pay
First of all, it should be remembered that it was not up to the towns to pay to host the flame. The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games has actually asked the departmental councils to pay the lump sum of 180,000 euros for the flame to pass through their territory.
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But in total, a third of the departments felt it was too expensive. Among them are indeed the Rhône and Isère, the departments of Lyon and Grenoble. However, these two departments are not chaired by ecologists, but by Les Républicains. In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, covered by the accusing account of Young People with Macron, the flame will actually only pass through four out of 12 departments.
“The cost seemed exorbitant to us for a day trip to Isère”explained Martine Kohly, the vice-president of the Departmental Council in charge of sport and youth, to France Blue . “For this sum, we can help municipalities and the projects they could develop with a longer-term effect.”
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Creuse and Corrèze, chaired by Les Républicains, Loire-Atlantique and Côtes-d’Armor, chaired by the Socialist Party, are other examples of departments that refused to pay the 180,000 euros. These departments still intend to organize or help the municipalities to organize activities related to the Olympics. “The popular Olympics, yes. The excesses, no. And the flame is one of them”summarizes Louise Pahun, the environmental vice-president of the Loire-Atlantique Departmental Council in charge of solidarity and responsible sports, on Twitter.
Exhibitions, events… and so many other actions!
We are proud that the games take place in France. We need major sporting events of excellence that strengthen social ties.
The popular Olympics yes.
Drifts, no. And the flame is one.
— Louise Pahun (@LouisePahun) June 23, 2023
She denounces the fact that the Olympic flame belongs to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and that it rents it for 450,000 euros a day to the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games in France. A sum paid in part by the departments and mostly by the sponsors. “Almost half a million euros a day for an event that consists of taking the flame out of your truck from time to time to parade it around the logos of multinationals. Where is the sport in all this?”
“Financial choice” versus “staggering price”
The mayors of Lyon and Grenoble therefore had to deal with the decision of the departmental councils. They had two options: respect their refusal or circumvent their decision by paying the 180,000 euros themselves.
Like many other cities, run by other political families – including Albertville and its various right-wing mayor – they did not. Bruno Bernard, the president of the metropolis of Lyon, denounces on Twitter a price “staggering”. Eric Piolle, the mayor of Grenoble, assumes a “financial choice” In Le Figaro .
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The flame will pass through other environmental cities
But not all green mayors think the same. Pierre Hurmic, the mayor of Bordeaux, took the opposite approach. While the Gironde Departmental Council, chaired by a socialist, refused to pay to host the flame, the ecologist joined forces with the city councilors of Libourne, Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux Métropole to collect the sum and welcome everything even the flame. According to information from franceinfo, Bordeaux and Libourne participated in the amount of 30,000 euros, Saint-Émilion 20,000 euros and Bordeaux Métropole 100,000 euros. We also note that the Olympic flame will pass through Poitiers and Strasbourg, two cities in the hands of environmentalists.