The FIFA World Cup in Qatar – which will take place from November 20 to December 18 – is approaching, and with its arrival the debate is intensifying on the legitimacy of participating in it, but also of watching it. Boycott or not boycott: the question tears the French fans, who would see a third star clinging to their shirt… but not in these conditions. In addition to the ecological disaster already demonstrated with the air-conditioned stadiums, Amnesty International denounces the violation of the human rights of thousands of migrant workers who have allegedly been mistreated and exploited. According to the British newspaper The Guardianmore than 6,500 workers would have died on the sites.
But some fiercely oppose the boycott. This is particularly the case of the economist Vincent Chaudel, visible on many sets in recent days to defend the holding of the event. On RTL on Tuesday, the sports marketing specialist answered questions from Yves Calvi and chose one of the most risky comparisons to justify the constructions in Qatar. According to him, France is just as “imperfect” on some historical issues. “The district of La Défense was built with many immigrants and with asbestos which will cost, by 2050 in France, between 50,000 and 100,000 deaths”, he chose as an example.
Opposite, the activist Camille Etienne does not hide his dismay: “But therefore history excuses the present? “, she asks. Certainly not. But at 20 minuteswe will mainly question the legitimacy of this comparison.
FAKE OFF
Let’s start first with a little history of the La Défense district, located in Hauts-de-Seine, straddling the municipalities of Nanterre, Puteaux, Courbevoie and La Garenne-Colombes. With industrialization, at the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of creating a business district in the middle of Paris was born, but the project had to wait until the 1960s and the creation of the CNIT, the National Center for Industries and Techniques, and the birth of the EPAD, the public establishment for the development of the La Défense region. Several major constructions followed, such as the Nobel Tower in 1966 and the Fiat Tower in 1974.
As Vincent Chaudel points out, asbestos was indeed used in the construction of the towers. In the 1960s, this material, then recognized for its thermal and acoustic insulation capabilities, was not yet banned. “When we built the La Défense towers, there was asbestos everywhere… from individual prefabricated houses to office towers. At that time, we did not know its dangerousness. When this was demonstrated, the building sector continued for years to use asbestos, especially in France”, explains the architect Pierre Chabard, co-author of the book. La Défense: ideas, actors, projects.
” A time bomb “
After several alerts warning of the risks of asbestos on health, in particular respiratory diseases and cancers, the material will only be banned in 1997. Some sectors are particularly affected by contamination, such as the construction industry. “Construction workers who have handled these materials for decades have been exposed first and foremost. It’s a time bomb in terms of public health,” maintains Pierre Chabard.
This week, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses), notably announced that asbestos causes between 150 and 170 laryngeal and ovarian cancers each year in France. . “From this point of view, Vincent Chaudel is right. But it’s not just at La Défense,” says the architect.
Indeed, in France, asbestos was for many years a problem, but on a national scale. It certainly still is today. “In reality, La Défense was like the whole of France from the point of view of construction, even if there is indeed a concentration of investments on this site”, compares Pierre Chabard.
A problem also French?
On the RTL set, Vincent Chaudel also draws a second parallel between construction in Qatar for the World Cup and the construction sites of La Défense: the question of immigrant workers. The problem also exists in France, we cannot deny it. Sociologist Nicolas Jounin, author of DO NOT ENTER CONSTRUCTION SITE, had devoted an investigation to it in 2008. Immersed in a construction company as a worker, he had discovered many hidden sides of the construction sector, in particular the massive use of foreign labour. More recently, the question of exploited undocumented workers also arose for the 2024 Olympic Games, organized in Paris.
Still, deciding to boycott the World Cup in Qatar in no way indicates that we consider France to be an irreproachable country. France obviously has its faults, that is not the question. The comparison of Vincent Chaudel has no place and would even tend to minimize Qatar’s actions against human rights.