MARSEILLE, France (CN) — Using Corniche Kennedy, the winding road that wraps along cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, as a backdrop, France’s interior minister kicked off a surprise two-day visit Wednesday commending the efforts of security officials as Marseille wraps up its Olympic sailing events.
“It all started here, with the arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseille,” Gérald Darmanin said, before discussing the success of the Games. “It’s a beautiful gold medal for the security forces.”
It’s understandable why Darmanin would be eager to celebrate the successes of the Games preemptively. He is in charge of the national police and security forces, and would ultimately need to answer for any failures.
Security was one of the main points of concern in the run-up to the Games on July 27, with its opening ceremony — the first of its kind, in the open air along the Seine as opposed to inside an arena — as arguably the biggest event in the spotlight.
Though arsonists attacked France’s high-speed rail network, setting fires that paralyzed train travel to Paris for some 800,000 people across Europe including athletes heading to the opening ceremony, the event was lauded as a success.
Experts advise caution in touting victory before the Olympics conclude.
“We will not be able to talk about the security of the Games until the Games, including the Paralympic Games, are over,” Michel Wieviorka, a French sociologist and former president of the International Sociological Association, said in an interview with Courthouse News. “I would be careful.”
The Paralympic Games run Aug. 28-Sept. 8, marking the first time the country will host them.
A secure Olympics would benefit the international image of France at a tumultuous time for the country’s domestic politics.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of its government and called for snap elections, which sent the country into a state of political chaos.
After the final round of elections on July 10, when the country's left-wing coalition won a majority, the president announced that he would effectively put politics on pause until the Games conclude on Sunday. Critics argue this is denying the left of their rightful position in governing power.
Darmanin has said that he would not keep his position when Macron forms the new government.
In Marseille, politics and security seemed to be far from spectators' minds.
On Monday, it looked like a normal day on the coast; people swimming, teenagers jumping off rocks and cafés bustling with customers. There were no crowds. The few Olympic stands set up along the corniche, where people gathered to look at the sea through binoculars, were the only tip-off that anything was out of the ordinary.
The action centered around the city's new Marseille Marina Olympic Park, with over 8,000 square yards of space for activities and athletes mingling with ticketed attendees. There was one bag check upon entry. On a pier jetting out into the sea, a screen live-broadcast races in action; the fleet was so far offshore that it could easily be missed by the naked eye. People lined up along the shore to watch and cheer as the boats sailed into the marina.
“It feels safe and well organized,” Sarah Patterson, a Canadian who traveled to see the Games, told Courthouse News. She wore a hat decorated with a bright red maple leaf. In her view, being on the pier and seeing the view was the best part.
Marseille hosted windsurfing, kite, dinghy, skiff and multihull, where men and women competed in equal numbers. Boats gathered to compete off the coast before sailing in through the marina.
Though safety has been a major talking point across the Olympics as a whole, here another factor took precedence: wind. Multiple races had to be postponed; one spectator sitting along the corniche with binoculars said the weather had made things a bit boring and overwhelmingly hot.
Inside the marina, old French sailboats lined dry grass and people relaxed on a privatized beach. Lounge chairs dotted the sand. There were multiple bars, sports equipment available to borrow free of charge, and shows for children. Pitbull’s "Don’t Stop the Party" played in the background as people wandered under the sun, many with flags poking through their baseball caps.
Darmanin spoke at the Memorial to the Repatriates of Algeria monument, a roughly 27-foot statue in the shape of a ship’s propeller. The viewpoint overlooks the Marseille Marina Olympic Park, which was created as the Games' central gathering point for both athletes and spectators.
“When you’re the interior minister, you take care of everything domestic — I know that people wanted this to go badly, people that didn’t have faith in the security forces,” he said. “I’m very happy to see that France is capable of this."
Early in the afternoon, the sky was overcast and the humidity high. Helicopters buzzed overhead. Police and military personnel lined the area, which is usually full of joggers and fishermen casting lines off the road’s edge.
“Everyone has shown good will,” Wieviorka said. “The region, the city of Paris, the president of the republic — the efforts were made by everyone.”
On Thursday, Darmanin is scheduled to give a speech at the regional police precinct, thanking the security agents who kept the Games safe before awarding a medal of honor to the Research and Intervention Brigade in Marseille.
“With security, you always have to be very careful,” Wieviorka said. “Those who often talk don't know things, and those who know things usually don't talk.”
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