FRANCE’S top auditors praised the organisation of last year’s Paris Olympic Games but criticised the failure to forecast a 2 billion euro security bill.
The Cour des Comptes revealed security costs reached 1.7 billion euros in temporary spending and 300 million in longer-term costs in its Monday report.
“The security expenditure was high, and very long underestimated,“ the report stated about the operation to protect athletes and spectators.
Cour president Pierre Moscovici told a press conference that the sums were not excessive given the political choice to stage the Games in Europe’s densest city.
He described the failure to anticipate security costs as abnormal and recommended better planning for future events.
France will host the Winter Olympics in 2030.
Moscovici confirmed there was no overall budgetary slippage despite the large unforecasted security bill.
France had estimated a 6.8 billion euro cost for the entire event excluding security and transport expenditures.
The safe execution of the Games represented a significant achievement for a country that experienced violent urban unrest in 2023.
Infrastructure delivery proved to be a particular success story.
Solideo delivered 70 projects on time and within the 1.68 billion euro budget envelope set by law.
This punctual and budget-compliant delivery marked a rarity in Olympic history where delays and overruns are common.
The auditors noted that reliance on existing venues and limited new construction helped contain overall costs.
The state spent 3.02 billion euros on organisation and 3.63 billion on infrastructure, staying close to early forecasts.
When including the 2 billion euro security bill and 1.35 billion euros in Games-related transport spending, the real cost exceeded 10 billion euros.
“The overall result is a success but with lessons to be learned,“ the Cour des Comptes report concluded. – Reuters
