Mark your calendar – Socialist Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo told French media she will jump into the River Seine to mark the Olympic Games.
According to Le Parisien, she will be joined by Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez for the dive on June 23.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s participation is yet to be confirmed, with the head of state having previously promised to jump into the Seine at the Olympic Village inauguration.
The mayor’s announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about the river’s cleanliness, with the NGO Surfrider having told French news outlet BFMTV that the Seine is not safe for swimming.
“If you bathe in the Seine you can catch many diseases if the water is not properly sanitised,” said Lionel Cheylus, a spokesman for Surfrider.
“We hope that with all the work that has been done, the situation will improve,” he added.
Hildalgo, 64, first announced her intention to jump into the river in January 2024.
“To the grumpy ones, I say: Yes, we are going to swim in the Seine. We’re going to do it,” she said.
In the event of bad weather or heavy pollution of the Seine, the plunge could be postponed for a week, her spokesman added.
French labour unions have slammed the use of 45,000 volunteers scheduled to work at the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics, labelling it “disguised employment”. https://t.co/RNibfpyl8u
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 22, 2024
