Gil Avérous warned from the beginning, it does not count “revolutionize things”. Appointed Minister of Sport, but also of Youth and Community Life, the mayor of Chateauroux stated during the handover of power with Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, on Monday 23 September, that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor. “I have this ambition, to try to be like you”directed him.
If the choice of Gil Avérous by Prime Minister Michel Barnier was a surprise, Castelroussin’s first speech was not so. The 51-year-old elected from Indre outlined the priority areas of his mandate. Basically, they follow the roadmap already drawn up by the outgoing team: supporting high-performance sports; combating “with the greatest determination to fight the scourge of sexist and sexual violence” and all forms of discrimination; strengthening sports and health policies and the fight against sedentary lifestyles, especially in schools; consolidating France’s attractiveness in terms of organising major sporting events, following the success of the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games…
The new Minister of Sports also wants to take the time to” hear “ and not “Promise things we cannot do, but evaluate what has been done”. “The Prime Minister wants a Republic of progress, not a Republic that initiates revolutions and transformations”he pointed out.
Gil Avérous’ first priority as Minister of Sports will be, he acknowledged, “meet the expectations of sports clubs” Following the enthusiasm generated by the success of the Games, the influx of new licensees gives rise to “Very sensible concerns from the managers of our sports clubs to find market niches”argued the elected official, who did not fail to pay tribute to the volunteers, “the beating heart of the associative fabric”.
“A model” of the draft law on the legacy of the Games on the table
The legacy of the Paris 2024 Games also features prominently in the new minister’s roadmap. “How to ensure that the coup does not happen again, that is the mission that the Prime Minister has entrusted to me”he remembered.
Gil Avérous will thus be able to present to parliamentarians the bill he inherited that the outgoing minister did not have time to complete. “A version of the text is on your desktop”said Amélie Oudéa-Castéra during her opening remarks.
You have 49.43% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
