FILE PHOTO: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivers his general policy speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
(Reuters) - France on Wednesday provided financial guarantees to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being picked conditionally in July to organise the 2030 Winter Games.
The French Alps bid was the preferred choice since June but due to elections and political instability, it had been unable to deliver the necessary state and regional financial guarantees in time.
France must have the guarantees signed by its prime minister by Oct. 1 and have them ratified by parliament no later than March 1, 2025, the IOC said in July.
"As Prime Minister... I commit to guarantee to cover any potential budgetary deficit of the organising committee," French prime minister Michel Barnier, who was named last month, wrote in a letter to IOC president Thomas Bach.
France previously staged the Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
