France says 2030 Winter Olympics safe despite political uncertainty

LYON, France (AFP)—France will honour its commitment to host the 2030 Winter Olympics regardless of the outcome of next year's presidential election, Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said on Tuesday during an IOC visit to Lyon. "When France commits to an international project such as hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, France will deliver regardless of any political changeover," Ferrari told reporters, adding that it would be difficult to reverse course. Her comments came after environmental groups and left-wing politicians renewed calls to scrap the project, arguing it would have a damaging ecological impact. "We're calling for the project to be stopped; there's no shame in doing so. The summer has been very impactful in terms of climate," Delphine Larat of the citizens' collective JOP 2030 told AFP. An elected member of parliament with the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, Jean-Francois Coulomme, criticised plans for artificial snow production and said the project would be "radically reassessed" on environmental and financial grounds if Jean-Luc Melenchon were elected president. The International Olympic Committee is in Lyon through Wednesday to inspect potential venues for ice events, which were moved from Nice after newly elected mayor Eric Ciotti rejected plans for a temporary rink at the city's football stadium. The region's president, Renaud Muselier, blamed the far right for "driving the Games out of Nice", but said even a future government potentially led by Marine Le Pen would be unlikely to forgo the global exposure offered by the Olympics. The IOC visit comes days after the resignation of organising committee chief Edgar Grospiron following a prolonged governance crisis. Deputy head Vincent Roberti is serving as interim head while a successor is sought. On Wednesday the IOC is expected to confirm venues in the Lyon region for ice hockey, curling, figure skating and short-track speed skating events. Attention will then turn to appointing a new organising committee president. Officials said they were in no rush, with Muselier and Fabrice Pannekoucke, president of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, both reporting strong interest in the role. "We need someone who embodies the project, a leader with natural authority and personal charisma," Muselier said. French Olympic Committee president Amelie Oudea-Castera said the successful candidate would not necessarily be a former athlete.