For those of us who love France, it is beyond tragic to see the Paris Olympics scarred before they’ve even begun. Today’s arson attacks on the French railway network, clearly designed to embarrass, intimidate, threaten and destabilise, make us fear the very worst: that these could be the most dangerous Olympics ever.
Sadly, of course, the Olympics have often been a theatre not just for great sport but for terrorist outrage. Recent Games, including London 2012, have emerged unscathed, but Atlanta in 1996 and Munich in 1972 were both horribly besmirched. Without wishing ill on a great city, Paris is in danger of joining them.
Already, the organisers have had to draft in thousands more security staff than they’d intended, especially after an inexcusable pitch invasion at the end of the Argentina-Morocco football match earlier this week. There are allegations of an appalling gang rape of an Australian tourist. And now the railways are under attack, with the aim of paralysing the entire network.
Who could be to blame for this morning’s events? There is no shortage of candidates. Some are pointing the finger at France’s far-Left. Others suspect Russia. Islamic State has been responsible for outrages in the past. Iran has motivation.
It begs the wider question: is France now safe? Are visitors safe? Yes, every city has its challenges. Nowhere can offer complete security, as our British cities, so often suffering from the scourge of knife crime, show us only too clearly.
There can be no doubt, though, that France is suffering more than many when it comes to crime and conflict. We can see this for ourselves when we travel on the Eurostar to Paris. The area around Gare du Nord has changed out of all recognition over the last few years, and even the short walk to Gare de l’Est, which used to be a pleasant stroll, is now so much more threatening. I make that journey several times a year to visit Strasbourg. It used to be an enjoyable few minutes – a chance to enjoy the late-afternoon Parisian air. Now, I rarely linger.
Politically, France is a complete mess, swinging between far-Left and far-Right, with the more moderate centre-right and centre-left beginning to disappear without trace. Town and country are almost literally at war. Some of the world’s most notorious terrorist incidents of the last decade have taken place within France. Violent crime, whether linked to terrorism or not, is surging.
Poor old France. Dear old Paris. It’s often thought that the British feels some schadenfreude towards the problems that France suffers, and vice versa. But I take no pleasure at all in today’s events. France is a fine country, and Paris is still, despite it all, a wonderful city. So, let’s hope and pray that the Olympics go smoothly from now on. The French people deserve nothing less.