Emmanuel Macron "is taking a risk by triggering elections so soon before the Olympics," Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in an interview with the Ouest France daily newspaper.
"With that move, he is mistreating the French people and ruining the celebration. The Olympics unify people around sports, so why ruin this wonderful moment and hold elections at such short notice without asking anyone first?" Hidalgo said.
Nevertheless, the French capital's mayor emphasized that "everything was ready" for the games.
Meanwhile, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said in a televised appearance on the France 2 TV channel that the election results may "pose a risk" to the Paris Olympics, given that the French cabinet may be reshuffled and new people may arrive who did not participate in the preparations for the event.
At the same time, the prefect of the Ile De France region, Marc Guillaume, said earlier this week that the Seine River, which will be the venue of some of the swimming events at the Olympics, is still not suitable for swimming, while French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that French security services are wary of terrorist attacks or provocations during the elections.
The European Parliament elections' results showed the far-right National Rally (RN) party emerging victorious in France, securing 31.36% of the vote and finishing over 15 percentage points ahead of Macron's centrist coalition. In response, the French leader ordered the dissolution of the National Assembly and a two-round snap election slated for June 30 and July 7.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympics will run from August 28 to September 8.