After more than fifteen days of Olympic festivities in Paris, some hope the heritage of the games, like the heightened sense of security and good mood, will remain in the French capital.
The day after the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, French people woke up with stars in their eyes and a touch of nostalgia after more than fifteen days of festivities.
In the central 7th arrondissement of the capital, close to the competition sites and the Eiffel Tower, the owner of a typical Parisian news kiosk sipped his morning coffee while stacking the latest French and international newspapers.
Most French and foreign press celebrated the success of the Paris Olympics.
“A newfound fervour,” “France dazzles the world,” or simply “Thank you” are the main titles on the front pages of French newspapers, referring to the sporting event.
‘Paris has never been this safe and clean’
Youssef, the kiosk owner, told Euronews that his biggest sale in the morning was the sports daily newspaper l’Equipe, which featured France’s four-time Olympic swimming champion Léon Marchand on its front page.
Although Yousself explained his summer wasn’t as lucrative as he had hoped, he enjoyed the fun atmosphere in Paris during the games.
“I dream that Paris could stay this way forever. Paris has never been this safe and clean since the start of the Olympics. Everyone is in a good mood and much more polite than usual,” he said.
Even residents like Gaby, 37, who was initially sceptical that the city could handle the influx of visitors, applauded the smooth running of the games.
“It was well-organised, with dedicated areas for all the tourists, especially those with tickets. And even in terms of security, within quite a few perimeters, law enforcement were always present, it was pretty well put together,” he conceded.
Some tourists even claim the Olympics have inspired them to move to Paris.
“There is one neighbourhood we checked out where my partner wanted to see if there were any properties to buy here. It was so nice. It has been wonderful,” said 34-year-old Kelsey from Oklahoma.
A post-Olympic hangover?
A manager of a nearby restaurant said that although the atmosphere in Paris has been “magical,” he believes more could have been done security-wise.
Vehicles in that area needed a QR code to enter the area because they were near competition sites.
“The police checked their QR code but not what was inside their car,” Steve explained.
“It definitely crossed my mind multiple times whether someone could crash on purpose into our terrace,” he told Euronews.
ADVERTISEMENTThe horrors of the 2016 Nice attack are still felt in France after a terrorist killed 86 people by driving a truck into thousands of people celebrating Bastille Day.
But just like the newsstand owner, Steve hopes the city can remain as clean as it has been since the start of the Olympics.
Another café owner nearby described Paris “as slowly waking up in a post-Olympic hangover,” having to return to reality, including facing the complicated political situation in France.
French President Emmanuel Macron will still have to face the reality of a deadlocked government created after calling for snap legislative elections back in June.
ADVERTISEMENTThe former government under PM Gabriel Attal has carried on in a caretaker role throughout the games, but the nation still does not have a new prime minister.
