After more than fifteen days of Olympic celebrations in Paris, some hope that the legacy of the Games, such as the greater sense of security and good humor, will remain in the French capital.
The day after closing ceremony of the Paris Olympic Gamesthe French woke up with a touch of nostalgia after more than fifteen days of celebrations.
In the capital’s central seventh arrondissement, near the competition venues and the Eiffel Tower, the owner of a typical Parisian newsstand sipped his morning coffee while stacking up the latest French and international newspapers. Most of the French and international press celebrated the success of the Paris Olympic Games.
“A new fervor”, “France dazzles the world“or simply”Gracias“are the main holders of the French newspaper coversin reference to the sporting event.
“Paris has never been so safe and clean”
Youssef, the newsstand owner, told ‘Euronews’ that his biggest sale of the morning was the sports newspaper ‘l’Equipe’, which had the Frenchman on the cover. Leon Marchand, four-time Olympic swimming champion.
Although Yousself explained that his summer It wasn’t that lucrative. As expected, he enjoyed the fun atmosphere that was breathed in Paris during the Games. “I dream that Paris will remain like this forever. Paris has never been so safe and clean like since the beginning of the Olympic Games. Everyone is in good mood and he is much more polite than usual,” he says.
Even residents like Gaby, 37, who at first was shown skeptical on the city’s ability to withstand the influx of visitors, applauded the good development of the Games.
“Was well organizedwith areas reserved for all tourists, especially those who had tickets. And even in terms of securitywithin some perimeters, the forces of order were always present, everything was quite well organized,” he acknowledged.
Some tourists even claim that the Olympic Games They have inspired them to settle in Paris. “My partner wanted to see if there were any properties to buy here. It was very nice. It’s been wonderful,” says Kelsey, 34, from Oklahoma, in USA.
¿Resaca post-Olympics?
He manager of a nearby restaurant He stated that, although the atmosphere in Paris has been “magical”, he believes that more could have been done in matters of security. The vehicles circulating in that area needed a QR code to enter because they were close to the competition venues.
“The police checked his QR code, but not what was inside his car,” Steve explained. “It definitely crossed my mind on multiple occasions whether someone could crash into our terrace on purpose,” he told Euronews. In France the horrors of the 2016 Nice attackafter a terrorist killed 86 people by driving a truck into thousands of people celebrating Bastille Day.
But like the kiosk owner, Steve hope the city can stay as clean as since the beginning of the Olympic Games.
Another owner of a nearby cafe described Paris “as slowly waking up in a Frisian post-Olympian“, and having to return to reality, which includes facing the complicated political situation in France.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will still have to face the reality of a government in deadlock triggered by the call for early legislative elections in June. The Government of Gabriel Attal has continued acting during the Games, but the country still does not have a new prime minister.
