I'm sorry to announce that the awaited 2025 World Expo in Paris will not happen, and this is not because France or Paris was not chosen to be the one hosting the Expo but because France Prime Minister has decided to cancel the World Expo in Paris.
From today's Le Monde issue: France will host the Rugby World Cup in 2023, the Olympic Games in 2024 but not the World Expo in 2025. Edouard Philippe has taken the decision to withdraw the tricolor application yet filed by the State in September with the presidential seal of approval. Emmanuel Macron. In the context of "recovery of our public finances", it is a question of not "burden the future (...) of additional commitments uncontrolled", writes the Prime Minister in a letter addressed Saturday, January 20 to the interministerial delegate responsible Pascal Lamy, revealed by Le Journal du dimanche in its edition of 21 January.
If the "structural weaknesses" of the dossier are the sole reason invoked in Matignon's missive, they are not the only reason for the withdrawal. The Grand Paris Express metro project, which plans 200 kilometers of new lines in Ile de France, is experiencing a cost drift such that Mr Philippe could announce mid-week a staggered schedule. The Prime Minister has on his desk a report from the prefect of Ile-de-France, Michel Cadot, who suggests postponing from 2025 to 2030 the date of commissioning of line 18 which was to serve in particular the plateau of Saclay (Essonne ), site chosen to host the Exhibition.
By renouncing the exhibition, the head of government throws a big obstacle to the possible shift of the delivery date of the metro. It is also true that he never joined the issue of the World Expo. Matignon even tried to prevent France from applying ( although France President Macron had approved it last year ).
So, no World Expo for France and no giant globe with its futuristic interior as you can see on the renderings above and below.
Disneyland Paris fought last year to be the site that would have host the Expo ( on the land kept for DLP third park ) and DLP had lost, which was a pity as it would have been perfect for a temporary "Epcot" like experience. Anyway, now that French prime Minister has cancelled everything it's no longer the problem.
1 comment:
It's a shame. France will throw away billions of € for the Olympics. Which has a long history of fraud and corruption, not to mention doping.
But it don't want to just help a thought provocative event that would drive inovation. Very sad...
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