He had asked the IOC for a few days' delay. One was enough for him. On Wednesday 2 October, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier sent the State's financial guarantee to Lausanne, the final piece in the now unconditional award of the 2030 Winter Games to the French Alps.
The document was expected by the IOC no later than October 1st. One day late, then. Anecdotal. The conditional attached to the French file since the last IOC session, on July 24th in Paris, was purely formal. It is no longer necessary.
"I confirm and undertake to guarantee the financing of any possible budget deficit of the Olympic Games Organizing Committee, wrote Michel Barnier in his letter to Thomas Bach. This commitment includes the reimbursement to the IOC of advances or other contributions paid to the OCOGs by the IOC, which the latter may have to reimburse to third parties in the event of an unforeseen event such as a total or partial cancellation of the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."
Proof of the impatience of the leaders of the bid to see the precious document signed by the new tenant of Matignon, then taken on the road to Lausanne: Renaud Muselier, the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (PACA), and Laurent Wauquiez, his former counterpart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (AURA), now a member of parliament, published a copy on their X accounts.
In terms of form, the State's financial guarantee lifts the last condition set by the IOC for the 2030 Winter Games in France. In terms of substance, it sets in stone a dual commitment by the public authorities to the IOC. The first is capped at 500 million euros. It provides for the reimbursement of advances made in the event of cancellation of the Games. The second, of a slightly lower amount, concerns a possible deficit from the Olympic and Paralympic event. In such a scenario, the bill would be shared between the State and the two host regions.
The two commitments signed by Michel Barnier will be included in a Finance Act to be presented to Parliament next year, in two stages.
What's next? It looks like it will be busy. With the Games now officially awarded to the French Alps, the priority for the project leaders will be to formally create an organizing committee within a maximum of five months. Logic would dictate that it be set up in Savoie or Haute-Savoie. But Laurent Wauquiez, still very involved in the matter, would rather see it in Lyon.
Another subject: its governance. A single president, as for Paris 2024? A duo, as for the 1992 Albertville Games (Killy-Barnier)? The decision is not clear. But one name is circulating insistently: Martin Fourcade. The former multi-Olympic medal-winning biathlete, who joined the IOC during the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, has a profile tailored to the role. But he still has to want to embark on the adventure, in a much more political context than for the Paris 2024 Games.
Asked at the beginning of the week about the issue of the governance of the COJO, Renaud Muselier responded without answering, but made it clear that the decision could not escape the two regions. "Who pays, decides, he explained. Namely the State and the regions. Of course, a top athlete is needed and I would like there to be a woman. I am in favour of the Barnier-Killy mode of operation, except that in this case, it is a little broader since we are talking about the French Alps. »
The next few months will also be occupied by the creation of a version 2 of SOLIDEO, the public institution in charge of the construction and delivery of the venues. It is understood that it will be based in the PACA region. Logically, it should take up residence in Nice, as close as possible to the action. But Renaud Muselier is considering it rather in Marseille. Within sight.
Finally, the COJO will have to resolve without too much delay the question of the presence, or not, of Val d'Isère on the map of competition sites. Jean-Claude Killy is campaigning for it. And he has the ear of Michel Barnier.