Topline The Paris Summer Olympics are less than a month away, and as athletes across the globe prepare to compete on the world stage, some issues have already begun affecting the Games, including a muddy French political landscape and complaints about flimsy cardboard beds. The Olympic rings in front of the Eiffel Tower. Key Facts Political turmoil: It’s unclear who will hold top government positions when the Games commence, after France was left with a hung parliament when the French left-wing New Popular Front party won the most seats in the National Assembly during Sunday’s election but didn’t win an outright majority, leading to violent protests and clashes with the police.
River Seine Contamination: Officials said some Paris Olympics swimming events like triathlons and marathons may be postponed, canceled or moved to a different area of Paris due to high levels of E. coli found in the River Seine, though the city has already invested $1.5 billion into cleaning up the river.
River Seine “Poop Protest”: A viral “ poop protest ” that first started as an internet joke was planned to protest the contamination of the Seine and scheduled on June 23, the same day President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo were set to swim in the river to prove it was safe, though their dip was delayed due to the elections, so it’s unclear if the protest still happened. No AC in the Olympic Village: In order to reduce the city’s carbon footprint, Paris Olympics offic.
