A month and a half before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the cities of Belfort, Montbeliard and Lure announce in turn that they will not broadcast matches of France on a giant screen.
For the Mayor of Montbéliard, Marie-Noëlle Biguinet, the conditions of organization of this world are unacceptable : ” When this World Cup was awarded, we should have asked ourselves the question of the relevance of this choice. The environmental issue was probably not as important at the time, but it was still present. And we didn’t take it into account. And today with the climate and energy problems, it is completely inopportune. And then there is the social issue. There have been thousands of deaths on stadium sites and significant numbers of migrant workers. We cannot endorse this World Cup under these conditions.”
Same feeling to lure where Mayor Eric Houley is too unfavorable to the broadcasting of matches : “We have already broadcast matches on a giant screen in Lure but there we will not do so for reasons relating to respect for human rights where Qatar is not exemplary, and also to the ecological transition since it is a very negative signal to organize this World Cup in Qatar in the middle of winter.”
In recent days, many cities have also expressed their desire not to install giant screens or fan zones. Like Lure and Montbéliard, the vast majority intend to denounce the energy expenditure linked to air conditioning of Qatari stadiums in the middle of the desert, at a time of sobriety, but also the lack of respect for human rights. According to a Guardian investigation, 6,500 workers died in Qatar in stadium construction.
A hypocritical argument
But for Pierre-Jérôme Collard, sports assistant at the town hall of Belfort, this argument is hypocritical : “It’s a bit opportunistic when you know that the World Cup was awarded to Qatar more than 10 years ago. I want to hear that the environmental issue was not as strong at the time, but the question of human rights was already there.”
Pierre-Jérôme Collard recognizes all the same that these ecological and social issues weighed a little in the decision of the town hall of Belfort not to broadcast the matches but that’s not what motivated this decision. “We were among the first to install fan zones and giant screens at previous big eventsexplains Pierre-Jérôme Collard, the sports assistant at the town hall of Belfort. But there, we are no longer in the philosophy of the beginnings. At the time, we wanted to bring sport to the city and create moments of sharing. It quickly became very popular with, for example, thousands of people placing Arsenal for the 2018 World Cup. But this time, the matches will take place in the afternoon when people are working and also in winter. It is not conducive to the sharing that we wanted at the start.“
And then the context is not the same than in previous events. “Today we are in a context of very strong budgetary constraints with soaring energy prices. We announced an energy saving plan so we can’t say on the one hand we’re saving money and on the other hand we’re installing a giant screen. For all these reasons, we will not be broadcasting the matches either.”
The World Cup will begin on November 20.