French Sports Community Reacts to Deep Budget Cuts Ahead of Olympics

The French sports community is expressing outrage following the government's announcement of a significant reduction in the budget for the Ministry of Sports, Youth, and Associative Life as part of the 2026 finance bill. The budget will be cut by 17.65%, from €1.7 billion to €1.4 billion, a decision that has sparked strong condemnation from major sports bodies.

The French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) and the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) have jointly denounced the cuts as 'incomprehensible, unjust, and dangerous.' They emphasize that such reductions jeopardize the essential public service that sports provide, particularly in light of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The committees argue that sports are not just a leisure activity but a public necessity that contributes significantly to societal well-being and cohesion.

In a statement, the committees pointed out that the sports sector had already contributed €300 million back to the government this year through previous budgetary constraints. They expressed concern that these latest cuts disregard the contributions of the sports community and undermine efforts to engage youth and promote public health.

The backlash against these financial reductions is intensifying, with CNOSF and CPSF urging all factions within the sports community—including athletes, federations, and local clubs—to assemble and mobilize against the funding cuts. This call for action comes after earlier protests in which the sports community expressed discontent over an additional €33 million cut announced earlier this year, following previous slashes of €200 million and a separate €40 million reduction in the Pass'sport program.

As Prime Minister François Bayrou outlines a plan to reduce the public deficit by €46.8 billion, the future of French sports funding appears precarious, raising concerns about the potential losses in community engagement and international competitive edge. In light of these developments, it remains to be seen how the sports community will respond collectively and what further actions they might undertake to address their grievances.

The overall sentiment is clear: the reductions not only threaten the viability of local sports initiatives and youth programs but also pose a significant risk to the legacy and ambitions tied to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The mobilization of the sports community could prove pivotal in influencing government policy moving forward.