Swimming in the Seine authorized this summer: "All this for how many billions?" Zohra Bitan rages

There was already a beach in Paris; now there will be swimming and the sea. Well, almost. Parisians will be able to swim in the Seine starting July 5, 2025. Paris City Hall announced the news on Wednesday and presented its plan.

It will be possible to take a dip in the Seine at three different locations, a year after the Olympic Games, which saw triathlon athletes swim in the river. Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo has already expressed her willingness to dive into the Seine again, after taking a dip in 2024 before the Olympics.

News that didn't exactly delight the Grandes Gueules set this Thursday: "How many billions did it cost? Isn't there a swimming pool to renovate?" asks Zohra Bitan. "I don't believe in the success of swimming in the Seine," questioning the municipality's sense of priorities and adding that she won't be going swimming.

This "massive investment" plan would have cost a total of 1.4 billion euros, according to various estimates .

For his part, educator Etienne Liebig assures that he will go swimming: "Without a single second of hesitation," he promises. "I remind you that the billion euros used is not just for swimming, it is also a purification system," he adds.

Etienne Liebig even advocates for city dwellers to reclaim their rivers: "I propose that they rediscover their rivers, that there be no cars and that we can walk along the rivers and swim in them, it's an incredible pleasure and I'm very happy that we can swim in the Seine."

"It's good that we can do this once the money has been spent," says Emmanuel de Villiers.

"But there will be colossal operating costs, but if it revives the toilet paper industry, so much the better," he jokes on RMC and RMC Story .

After a century of bans, Parisians will be able to swim at the Marie arm opposite the Île Saint-Louis in the heart of the capital, at the Grenelle arm opposite the Île des Cygnes and near the Eiffel Tower to the west, and finally near Bercy to the east. The city expects between 150 and 300 people each day at the three sites, which are due to close at the end of August.