Earlier this week, Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the General Confederation of Labor in France, did not rule out the possibility of strikes during this summer’s Paris Olympic Games. The General Confederation of Labor is the biggest of France’s five major confederations of trade unions. It is the largest in terms of votes and second-largest in terms of membership numbers. Binet added that its members were committed to mobilization in defense of their rights and criticized the government’s social preparations for the Games, describing them as insufficient for the hundreds of thousands of workers whose conditions will be deeply impacted.
French unions are threatening strikes during the Olympics over their workers’ general rights, but also for working conditions during the Games themselves. They are urging Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to initiate swift negotiations on issues such as leave, overtime and partial unemployment. Their specific demands include partial unemployment for all workers within the Olympic security perimeter. The General Confederation of Labor has also highlighted disparities in the bonuses offered to police and other civil servants, as well as the challenges faced by hospital caregivers.
Additionally, workers on the Paris public transport system have issued a strike notice that extends to Sept. 9, the day after the Paralympic Games end. Moreover, fewer than five months before the opening ceremony, the public transport offering remains a source of tension. To enable hundreds of thousands of visitors to reach the Olympic venues, new metro and RER lines had been promised, but construction has faced delays and so this strike notice puts the entire logistics of the Games in peril.
I feel like I am watching a Monty Python movie when witnessing the situation in Paris and its preparations for the Olympics
Khaled Abou Zahr
So, unions are threatening strikes during the 16 days of competition scheduled for July 26 to Aug. 11, as well as during the subsequent Paralympics, to protect workers’ rights. This means the General Confederation of Labor will fight for the rights of workers during the Olympics while simultaneously disrupting the Olympics. I truly feel like I am watching a Monty Python movie when witnessing the current situation in Paris and its preparations for the Olympics. Anyone who has lived in Paris for any length of time has had to live with strikes; they have become part of the culture, just like croissants and baguettes. Yet, this time, one might say that there is a deep crack in the social contract. Something is broken.
The question remains: Should unions organize massive strikes during the Olympics, which is a huge global event? Is it acceptable to potentially ruin the trips of hundreds of thousands of people who have saved for years to come and enjoy the Olympics? Is it acceptable to put at risk the performance of athletes who have made sacrifices for years? My simple answer is no. French unions should not hold the international community hostage in their fight against the government. These 16 days should be the time to show France’s excellence and hospitality.
The rights of workers during these 16 days are important, but are they not already covered? Is there really a need for additional confrontation for this event? There is more to it than just the Olympics and France’s history of strikes — it is a true sign that Europe is at a turning point. This inability to plan for large-scale events or host great events can also be interpreted as the end of European dominance. Just as Europe has been the birthplace of all large international events, we are slowly but surely seeing them migrate south and east. This should be taken as a premonitory warning. A warning of the end of an era.
This inability to plan for large-scale events or host great events can also be interpreted as the end of European dominance
Khaled Abou Zahr
This is not the only risk the Olympics are facing. The primary threat to the Olympic Games is the persistent risk of terrorism, as emphasized by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin during a Senate session. Darmanin revealed the extensive security plan, which includes conducting 1 million security investigations before the start of the Games.
According to Darmanin’s timeline, the security measures will be in place from May 8, the arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseille, until Sept. 8, the closing of the Paralympic Games. Darmanin acknowledged the considerable logistical and security challenges faced by the Ministry of the Interior during this period. The security services have been urged to adopt a cautious approach, considering all possible scenarios, as highlighted by a source at Place Beauvau. Additionally, Darmanin provided details on the capacity for the opening ceremony, which will take place along a 6-km stretch of the river Seine in Paris. The number allowed to attend will be about half of the initially intended audience of 600,000 — a measure taken to ensure both security and the smooth flow of the event.
Images of overcrowding on the Parisian metro lines and leaks on the security of the event are pushing a bleak view of France’s capacity to organize big events. This is creating an image of complete chaos and a disorganized country. Moreover, the measures taken by the government to ensure a smooth Olympics, including security closures and an increase in transport prices, have made the event a symbol of all the grievances against the government, particularly that it does not care about the people. It is, as the French saying goes, “the drop of water that makes the vase overflow.”
Large events, which have long been a tool for Western countries to project soft power, are now becoming impossible to organize. This is a clear sign that something has changed and that globalization has not taken the path the West expected. Yet, for now, there should be unity and a focus on making the 2024 Summer Olympics a success for France and above any outrage against the government.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is the chief executive of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
