Three and a half years before the start of the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, the organization of the event is already at the center of criticism. On Friday, July 17, 2026, MP Eric Ciotti introduced a proposed resolution to create a commission of inquiry, JDD reports.
Following the resounding success of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France will once again host the Olympic Games. After Milan-Cortina this year, the next Winter Games will take place in the French Alps from Friday 1 February to Sunday 17 February 2030. This is the fourth time our country has organized this global competition, after Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968 and Albertville 1992. However, three and a half years before the opening ceremony, the management of the highly anticipated event is facing questions as controversy continues.
It was in this context that Eric Ciotti, deputy of the Union of Republican Rights (UDR) of the Alpes-Maritimes and mayor of Nice, submitted on Friday 17 July 2026 to the National Assembly a proposed resolution aimed at creating a commission of inquiry into the organization and financing of the 2030 Winter Games, disclosed exclusively to the JDD. Several reasons justify this request. In December 2025, the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (COJOP) experienced a serious management crisis, causing a series of resignations. Bertrand Mée, who headed the body responsible for expressing his opinion on the remuneration of COJOP employees, particularly criticized the current president, Edgar Grospiron, for being “a president and general manager who is not subject to any control and does not have the appropriate competence.”
The budget is considered too large
The budget for the event is also a concern for the UDR: at the time of the application it was estimated at 1.5 billion euros, and will now reach approximately 3.4 billion, with the risk of a significant shortfall in public finances. In addition, the expected economic benefits, i.e. 48 thousand jobs and 3.6 billion in added value, are considered overestimated. Finally, suspicions of conflicts of interest surround Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and member of the COJOP executive board. In an investigation published on July 15, Médiapart found that in 2014, the politician personally invested in an American ski resort in Utah.
Eric Ciotti calls on Renaud Musellier to resign
However, the North Valley is slated to serve as the host and training site for another Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034. In a letter dated July 17, published by Nice-Matin, the mayor of Nice criticizes his opponent for “taking advantage of the French candidacy to (…) bring the American organization closer to the implementation of 2034, as well as formalize close cooperation with the governor of Utah” and calls on him to resign. from his mandate in COJOP.
published July 18 at 1:32 pm by Nastasya Dobremez, 6Médias with L’Express