Bertrand Delanoë, the Socialist mayor of Paris, on Monday delivered a stinging attack on British tactics in the competition to host the 2012 Olympic Games, accusing the U.K. prime minister and his London bid team of "not respecting the rules."
In his first official address to the Paris municipal council since London was awarded the games last week, Mr. Delanoë said Prime Minister Tony Blair and bid leader Lord Coe had not "flirted with the line, they crossed to the other side. Victory was based on something other than Olympic principles."
Paris, the initial favorite, was deeply disappointed by London's victory in the race for the Olympics. Many close to the Paris bid suggest that London had won by using aggressive marketing and commercial techniques rather than by relying on the quality of its dossier. In contrast to Mr. Blair — who lobbied IOC members individually — Jacques Chirac, the French president, was content to make a speech in Singapore.
London also stands accused of criticizing features of a rival bid when, according to a spokesman for the mayor, it "stigmatized" the Stade de France, a centerpiece of the Paris bid.
Mr. Delanoë made his comments in a debate at the Paris municipal council which opened with a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of last week's London bombings.
Claude Goasguen, of the right-of-center UMP party and reported to harbor ambitions for Mr. Delanoe's job in the next mayoral election in 2008, said the mayor's allegations were "shocking and almost indecent." Pierre Lellouche, another UMP member and mayoral hopeful, said he too had been dismayed by Mr. Delanoe's statements.
But a spokesman for Mr. Delanoë also confirmed that Paris had no plans to appeal against the Olympic decision and wished London luck. "The page is turned, the choice of London is a fact, we wish London good luck," said the spokesman.