Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
The Paris Olympics delivered a dazzling summertime success that charmed the world and reaffirmed French national pride. The hangover will be tough.
With Sunday’s closing ceremony drawing a line under the sporting spectacle, President Emmanuel Macron must now deal with a self-created political crisis that he swept under the carpet until the Games were over.
Talks over government jobs and budget cuts loom – with voter anger sure to follow.
“Now we have to wake up from this beautiful dream,” said Christine Frant, 64, at the Club France fan zone last weekend. “Such a shame we’re going to return to our day-to-day routine, with no government, squabbles in parliament, while here it was all about joy, sharing.”
Macron seemed to cast the entire fate of the Olympics into doubt when he called a snap legislative election just weeks before the Games were due to begin. Voters delivered a hung parliament.
