Government spokesman Olivier Véran estimated on Friday that it would be “complicated» to give up now on organizing the Football World Cup in Qatar but was delighted with the evolution of «mentalitieson the issue of climate change.
«My conviction is that if we had to make such a decision, today we would not give the World Cup to Qatar, most likely given the climate issue.“, he said on RTL.
Asked about former President François Hollande who assured Thursday that if he was still president, he would not go there, Mr. Véran did not answer on the probability of a trip by President Emmanuel Macron there.
«What was decided ten years ago by a hundred countries in the world, which was accompanied for ten years, it’s complicated, a few weeks from the start, to say all of a sudden: in fact, we must not not do it“, judged the minister.
«10 years ago, the first reactions were: “will footballers be able to play well in stadiums where it is very hot, even if they are air-conditioned?” ‘is it reasonable to air-condition stadiums in the current period?’, that means that mentalities have changed and I’m going to tell you: so much the better“, he rejoiced.
«I understand that there is a sensitivity in public opinion around this issue and I say: so much the better because what we want is to make the population aware of energy sobriety“, he welcomed.
Less than two months before the World Cup (November 21-December 18), criticism is increasing on the left of this organization.
«No to the filthy cup“: the LFI deputies in particular castigated Thursday the “mistreatment of immigrant workers” and the “outdoor air-conditioned matches“, claiming a”strong political response from the French authorities».
