Poll vaulting Macron tries to keep eyes on the Games and away from political woes

Arms outstretched, Emmanuel Macron looked out over the white sand of the Olympic beach volleyball arena under the Eiffel tower, marvelling at what promised to be the most Parisian backdrop of the games.

- Angelique Chrisafis

"This is magnificent," he said as volunteers prepared for the hundreds of thousands of spectators who will watch events at the venue after it opens this weekend. "This is the picture postcard of Paris 2024," said Tony Estanguet, the Paris Olympics organiser, looking up at the tower. "It's magic."

Macron, who is preparing to welcome world leaders to the opening ceremony tomorrow night, has been visiting venues before they open in order to ramp up France's global image as well as appeal to French people who are sceptical about the cost and impact of the games. At the volleyball arena, he recorded a video of himself wishing the world a "great games", then posted a photograph of the picturesque backdrop saying that soon France would understand that these games were "worth it".

He then walked out on to the sand to chat to volunteers, some from countries including Spain and Canada.

But the French president stayed pointedly silent on the difficult issue of the turbulent domestic politics hanging over France following a snap parliamentary election where voters for left and centrist parties pushed the far-right into third place, but without either having enough seats on their own to form a government.