In Paris
President Emmanuel Macron is quite switched on.
As would be expected of any Head of State, the President of France is in touch with global events, and has even been following the Kenyan pro-reform protests quite closely.
At a State reception hosted for selected journalists covering this year’s Olympic Games at the Elysee Palace on Monday evening, Mr Macron said he hoped the demonstrations in Kenya would end soon.
“Sorry about what is going on (youth-led demonstrations in Kenya),” President Macron told Nation.Africa as he mingled with the international journalists at the Elysee Palace Gardens.
“I really hope these demonstrations will end soon,” he added, stating his admiration for Kenya and President William Ruto as further demonstrations were planned in Kenya on Tuesday calling for widespread governance reforms.
“You have a great country and a great President, Ruto. He was here in Paris a year ago and he later organised a very successful climate summit in Nairobi,” Mr Macron said.
“I hope I can visit your great country again,” he added, as First Lady Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron also expressed her admiration for Kenya, indicating that Kenya’s First Lady Rachel Ruto could be coming to the Olympics.
“Your First Lady will be coming,” she said, shortly after also indicating that American First Lady Jill Biden is expected for the Games’ Opening Ceremony on Friday.
Earlier, in his 11-minute official speech to the gathering of global journalists, also attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and the head of Paris 2024 organisers Tony Estanguet, President Macron hoped that the July 26 to August 11 Olympic Games – followed by the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8 - would help foster global peace.
“We will do our best to try and provide our contribution to a better world, and will try and make the ‘Olympic truce’ a reality,” he said.
France President Emmanuel Macron promises world class Olympics
The Olympic truce, known in Greek as “Ekecheiria”, seeks to ensure a halt of all hostilities, allowing the safe passage and participation of athletes and spectators taking part in the Olympic Games.
French President Emmanuel Macron (riight) with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach at the pre-Olympics Media Reception at the Elysee Palace on July 22, 2024.
Photo credit: Photo | Elias Makori
According to the IOC, the Olympic truce “reaffirms that the Olympic values of peace, solidarity, and respect are as important across the world today as they were over 3,000 years ago when the ancient Olympic Games first took place in Greece.”
President Macron also noted that the Paris Olympics has helped upgrade the city’s centuries-old infrastructure.
“These Olympic Games are an occasion to be loyal to our past… I always tell people that so many facilities in this (Elysee) neighbourhood were created for global exhibitions at the end of the 19th century, and they did stay and framed our city… for sure, these Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Paris will change our country,” he said in his speech inside the imposing, 300-year-old Elysee Palace.
He described the possibility of Paris hosting the Olympics as a “dream” seven years ago when he ascended to the French presidency.
“It has been seven years of very hard work. We have delivered a lot of structures, including the Olympic Village, which is a wonderful place for our athletes and it will remain sustainable as a home for 3,000 families, the housing programme being part of the long-term legacy,” he said.
Kenyan journalist Elias Makori takes a selfie with French First Lady Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron at the Elysee Palace during a pre-Olympics Media Reception on July 22, 2024.
Photo credit: Photo | Elias Makori
“We have created a lot of metro stations, bridges, aquatic centres, and so on. We delivered what we needed to, and we delivered on time, on budget, and in the best possible way, thanks to the perfect involvement of everybody in the French team.”
He paid tribute to the over 45,000 local and foreign volunteers working at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, highlighting the unique Opening Ceremony that will usher in the Games this Friday.
“We will have an opening ceremony which is unique because it is the first time in the history of the Olympic Games that we will have an Opening Ceremony not in the Stadium, but on the Seine River…
“It seemed to be a crazy idea, but we decided to make it real so I’d like to thank everybody for organizing this parade that will be unique with world artistes, orchestras, etc, making Paris an open theatre and the Seine River the core of the theatre.”
Friday’s Opening Ceremony promises to be one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history, being the first in the history of the Games to be held outside the main, Olympic Stadium.
“Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the Opening Ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine,” organisers explained in a media brief.
Kenyan journalist Elias Makori takes a selfie with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace during a pre-Olympics Media Reception on July 22, 2024.
Photo credit: Photo | Elias Makori
“Taking on a new guise, the parade of athletes will be held on the Seine with boats for each national delegation. These boats will be equipped with cameras to allow television and online viewers to see the athletes up close.
“Winding their way from east to west, the 10,500 athletes will cross through the centre of Paris, the overall playing field for the Games on which these competitors will display their sporting prowess over the next 16 days…
“The river parade will follow the course of the Seine, from east to west over six kilometres.”
Friday’s parade is expected to depart from the Austerlitz Bridge at 7.30 p.m. Paris time (8.30pm Kenyan time) and make its way around the two islands at the centre of the city before passing under several bridges and gateways, the organisers confirmed, adding that the athletes on board the parade boats will get glimpses of some of the official Games venues.”
Sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala and women’s volleyball team “Malkia Strikers” captain Triza Atuka will carry the Kenyan flag during the parade which will be followed by a global television audience of over three billion.
Team USA, meanwhile, nominated basketball star LeBron James to be their flag-bearer, a prestigious association to the Olympic Games tradition.
President Macron noted that his administration had worked on cleaning up the Seine River making it fit for swimming.
“You will be able to swim in the Seine River, which is unique, and is an investment of these Olympic Games and Paralympic Games,” he assured, stressing that the Paris Games will be “the most sustainable” Olympics.
Some 15,000 athletes and 4,500 para-athletes are expected to compete in six weeks of action.
In his speech, IOC President Bach was confident that France and Paris were ready “for a spectacular Olympic Games,” describing the Games as being “more than sports.”
“The Paris Olympics will be younger, more urban, and more sustainable than ever…
“They will be the first Olympic Games with full gender parity. The IOC has allocated the same number of starting places for female athletes as for male athletes,” Bach, a German lawyer and former Olympic fencing gold medallist, said.
