After many shuttles between the National Assembly and the Senate, the deputies finally adopted the law aimed at democratizing sport in France by 67 votes out of 73 expressed, Thursday, February 25. The end of a real marathon for the Minister Delegate for Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, who with this law erects the roadmap for French sport with a view to Paris 2024.
The bill, which is very similar to the one adopted at first reading by the deputies in March 2011, highlights in particular the extension of the prescription of physical activity to patients with chronic illness, the opening of school sports facilities to sports associations or gender parity in the governing bodies of sports federations.
Franceinfo: sport: vou had to fight to pass this law, what were the constraints to its adoption?
Roxana Maracineanu: Parity has been much debated among senators, on the same retrograde arguments. The senators Les Républicains (LR) also brought back into the debate the question of religious symbols in the public space and in sport. This had already been addressed in the law on separatism and the fight against radicalization.
I was therefore disappointed to see that the work of parliamentarians, of certain senators and of the sports movement was tossed about in the parliamentary shuttle, and that the question of the veil in the public space was put back on the table and led to the rejection of a whole text that contains necessary measures for sport. This is also why the law was delayed in being passed. This law was a fight.
Precisely, concerning parity, some senators wanted to postpone its establishment in the executive of federations at the national level until 2028. Is it a victory not to have given in by keeping this establishment for 2024, when it will be postponed to 2028 for the regional level?
It is a fundamental reform. It was absolutely necessary to have the sports movement on our side since it was its transformation, its reform and its revolution. It was a matter of making the leaders, who are mostly male in the federations and management committees, understand that half of their seats should be left to women. And it was not easy. They had to be convinced of the merits of this measure of parity: it is there to supplement the reflection and the offer of the federations so that the latter is also adapted to women, to their lifestyles, their schedules, the expectations that they they have vis-à-vis their sports practice.
Insignia, signs, symbols and insults directed at people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity will be punished in the same way as racism or anti-Semitism. Is a legislative vacuum finally filled?
Yes, and now associations that fight against homophobia can also bring civil action. This article refers in particular to the songs of the supporters and to the banners, of which it is a question of denouncing the homophobic remarks. There will be an aggravation and recognition of offences. We corrected the law so that these people could express themselves. All that has to change today, just like the violence in the stadiums.
“The introduction, possession or use of rockets or smoke in a stadium will now be punished more heavily. The perpetrators of these offenses may be liable to a fixed fine of €500.”
Roxana Maracineanu,
at franceinfo: sport
With this law, is there also a desire to broaden the fields of action of clubs in the territories?
With this law, it was a question of considering sport in its associative framework, as I know it, of allowing clubs to be active and more recognized in the territories, in diversified fields such as health, education or even social cohesion. With the health crisis, the clubs have experienced a loss of members, it is therefore a question of opening up new fields for them so that they can intervene in nursery and primary school for example, but also in support of health professionals to allow sports development on prescription.
Prescription sport has been expanded to target loss of autonomy, as well as certain chronic diseases, Clong ovid-19, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, to heal more easily, to prevent disease and avoid relapse. This will allow the clubs to be the relay of the sports-health centers, so that people on their release from sports rehabilitation can continue this movement near their homes, at the club. Clubs must therefore be able to hire dedicated sports educators, take an interest in this theme and develop strong links with health professionals.
You wanted to limit the mandates of the presidents to two at the beginning, then to three or even four today. What is the goal ?
The idea is also that women can access the position of president, that there is a renewal within the presidents of the federation. We had gone on two mandates, then three when the sports movement told us that the third mandate was important to run for international mandates and train future leaders, to have this notion of transmission. We have extended to four terms for federations where the president is in his third term, so that he has time to hand over.
What does the possibility of creating a commercial company by the professional leagues bring?
This will allow them to seek out new expertise. People recruited in marketing and project management will be able to sell the French football product internationally. Today, our Ligue 1 is little or not broadcast internationally. We can wonder about the situation given the quality of the players we have, the attractiveness of the championship.
There will therefore be the possibility of having investors to help the clubs to have new funds which will allow them to get out of the crisis as well as possible. The period behind closed doors was difficult, there is a need for investment. The leagues will have the option of having their marketing and commercialization rights managed by a company independently. The League will give a mandate and will be able to make decisions more easily without necessarily each time looking to see if all the club presidents of L1 and L2 agree. It is a development tool.