Macron declares ‘political truce’ but French government still on alert – Technologist

The view over the Seine was breathtaking and the sky clear. On Tuesday, July 23, from Trocadéro square, where he was interviewed by the France 2 television channel and Radio France broadcaster, Emmanuel Macron gazed out over the Paris river where, three days later, the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was due to take place. The capital was abuzz with excitement. So far, nothing had gone wrong, and the president was smiling at the prospect of following in the footsteps of his predecessors Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand, who were France’s presidents at the time of the 1968 Grenoble and 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games, respectively. “We’re leaving behind a lot of memories and dreams for a whole country,” he sighed.

The political crisis that has gripped France since he decided to dissolve the Assemblée Nationale and call early elections on June 9? Forgotten. The appointment of a new prime minister to replace the current caretaker government? Swept aside. The ambitions of the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), a left-wing alliance that claims to be ready to replace the Macron-aligned government? Dismissed. After just over 30 minutes of conversation, the president decreed an Olympic and political truce until mid-August. “Now, it’s the Olympics,” he said, once the cameras had stopped rolling.

Macron hopes to see the country thrilled by its athletes and, in turn, benefit from the popular jubilation. These “Games à la française,” in the Elysée’s words, should open a period in which national pride prevails over political quarrels. “The anger will only be deferred,” warned Frédéric Dabi, director of the IFOP polling institute. No matter: The grandiose and unprecedented opening ceremony should, at least for a few hours, bring reconciliation to a fractured country, and pay tribute to the audacity of the leader who made it possible to hold the show outside of a stadium.

‘Impressionist presence’

At the podium this evening, the French president will pose alongside a host of national leaders, who had just arrived at the presidential palace. The day before, on Thursday, July 25, Macron was due to have lunch with some 40 CEOs (ArcelorMittal, Samsung, Tesla, Coca-Cola, etc.) to, once again, extol the country’s attractiveness and, according to the presidency, “reassure the CEOs present” about his recent political choices, namely the dissolution that nearly propelled the far right into power. Secondly, he promised “an impressionist presence,” in other words, a discreet one, at the sporting events, so as not to be accused of politicizing the occasion.

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