PARIS — French taxpayers footed a nearly €6 billion bill to host the 2024 Paris Olympics, the country’s highest audit authority said in a report published Monday. France’s Court of Auditors found state and local authorities spent €2.77 billion to help organize the Games and an additional €3.19 billion on infrastructure. The French government had initially promised that public funding for the Games would cost around €1 billion. Tony Estanguet, the president of the 2024 Paris Organizing Committee, disputed the auditors’ figures in a response included in their report and said the true public cost attributable to the event “does not exceed €2 billion.” He also noted that the projected economic benefits linked to the Olympics are “three to five times that amount.” Both Estanguet and Prime Minister François Bayrou, whose response was also included in the report, stressed that the Court of Auditors had failed to adequately quantify the long-term benefits of the Games, including the infrastructure investments that will benefit Parisians long after the Olympics finished, and focused solely on tallying up expenditures. For example, the French government spent an additional €214 million to extend the Paris metro network to make Olympic sites accessible via public transport by the time the Games began. The president of the Court of Auditors projected before the Olympics began that they would cost €3 to €5 billion. The report notes that the Games’ organizing committee was “largely self-funded,” but that public funds were used to ensure the event’s success. Securing the Games ended up being particularly expensive. France spent some €665 million to deploy 35,000 police and gendarmes each day near the various events

LONDON — There wasn’t a great deal of time for reading in Westminster this year. Labour’s election supermajority, dramas over freebies and staff, war everywhere, a tax-hiking budget, and a heap of missions, milestones, foundations, pillars and steps kept Britain’s politicians on their toes. But, thankfully, some of Westminster’s finest still managed to steal a few hours off to bury their heads in a good book. POLITICO sent out the call to senior politicians, MP-slash-writers and political authors for the best book they read this year — old or new, fiction or non. Bored of your family? Disappointed with your stocking? Stock up your reading list here and see in 2025 curled up with a good book. Bridget Phillipson, education secretary: The Country Girls trilogy, a story of women’s sexual awakening by Irish writer Edna O’Brien, who died this summer. “Beautifully written, she was a true pioneer.” David Lammy, foreign secretary: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, a tale of four friends making their way in New York amid money worries, addiction and trauma. “Devastating portrait of friendship, love and shame.” Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Truman by David McCullough, a biography of Harry Truman. “It’s an amazing story and a fantastic book. He was underestimated and has not been given the recognition he deserves.” Tony Blair, former prime minister: Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America by T.J. Stiles, a biography of American Civil War cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer. “I thought this was far too niche a subject to interest me, but it’s a fascinating book on many different levels and beautifully written.” Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader: Undertones of War, poet Edmund Blunden’s 1928 memoir. “I am a student of the Great War. Blunden’s beautiful use of the English language to describe such horror is fascinating.” John Major, former prime minister: The Restless Republic by Anna Keay, about Britain’s 11 years without a monarch. “History as it should be told.” Rishi Sunak, former prime minister: “The most thought-provoking book I read this year is Eric Schmidt, Henry Kissinger and Craig Mundie’s Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit, a superb guide to how artificial intelligence will change our world. The most moving novel I have read is Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It is a wonderful exploration of the meaning of friendship.” Ian Dunt, writer on SW1’s broken politics: Also Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, the story of two video game designers and their relationship over many years. “A novel about the most underrated of all relationships — the one you have with your work colleagues.” Kim Leadbeater, MP and assisted dying legislator: How Westminster Works … and Why It Doesn’t by Ian Dunt. “A thought-provoking analysis of [the] current political system which gives everyone, inside and outside politics, plenty to think about in terms of revitalizing our democratic system and giving hope for the future.” Wes Streeting, health secretary: Looked After, Ashley John-Baptiste’s childhood memoir of growing up in foster care. “Radicalizing, infuriating and inspiring in equal measure.” Jo Stevens, Wales secretary: Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, a story of Soho nightlife in the 1920s. “She is a bloody genius writer — I’ve never read anything by her that’s been less than brilliant. The layers of storyline are deep and the female characters are fabulous.” David Cameron, former prime minister: JFK: Volume 1: 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall. “Although we have all read countless bios of this extraordinary man and know what ultimately happens, this biography is exceptional in its incredible detail, especially about Kennedy’s early life, his family upbringing and influences. The book ends at the Democratic National Convention in 1956 with Kennedy contemplating his future career. What happens next is yet to come in Volume 2!” Emily Thornberry, chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee: “Since July I have been obsessively listening to cozy crime stories on Audible; probably heard about 50 of them. I have just finished Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M. C. Beaton read by Penelope Keith and am starting Murder under the Mistletoe by Richard Coles. They are strangely soothing.” Alex Burghart, historian and shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Stakeknife, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland by Henry Hemming. “Remarkable insight into the Troubles’ labyrinthine complexities.” Graham Brady, tell-all former 1922 Committee chair: An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris. “A gripping dramatisation of the Dreyfus scandal, a tale of antisemitism and bureaucratic cover-up.” Diane Abbott, mother of the House and memoirist: Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America by Maggie Haberman. “They have a personal, if mutually suspicious relationship. She also illustrates how self-centered, greedy and bullying Trump the national figure is,  and his continuing dishonesty on a countrywide scale.” Suella Braverman, Tory MP: Israelophobia by Jake Wallis Simons. “Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand antisemitism: what it is, where it came from and, crucially, what we can all do to tackle it.” Stephen Flynn, SNP Westminster leader: Inside the IndyRef by fellow SNP MP Pete Wishart. “I’ve not actually received a signed copy yet (hint) but the author assures me that in his unbiased opinion it is utterly unmissable.” Ed Davey, Lib Dem leader: Golden Hill by Francis Spufford, an entertaining ramble through 18th century Manhattan. “I mostly avoid political books and my best friend bought me this and it’s a real historical barnstormer. Proper escapism and wonderfully written.” Isabel Hardman, Spectator journalist and author: Julia by Sandra Newman. “I didn’t have very high expectations of this retelling of 1984 but it was proper stay-up-late-to-read-more stuff.” Patrick Maguire, Times journalist and Starmer kremlinologer: Killing for Company: The case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters. “Writing a book on Labour’s revival and rocky entry into government meant I did less reading than I would have liked, but I managed to make time for this surprisingly tender psychological study of the serial killer, which I read in one sitting one night I couldn’t sleep. Please don’t lock me up.” James Cleverly, Conservative MP: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a sci-fi novel about a teacher-turned-astronaut who wakes up with amnesia 12 light-years from earth. “I love [it]. It’s by the author of The Martian.” Grant Hill-Cawthorne, House of Commons librarian: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. “As well as painting an incredibly moving picture of a key time in Russian history, the development of its main character alongside those of his fellow residents in the Metropol Hotel is beautifully described, with strong themes of what it is to be a parent, a citizen, a friend and a companion.” Cleo Watson, author of Whips, a satirical romp: Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell, the story of Pamela Churchill Harriman who helped rescue the U.S. Democrats after their 1980s wipeout. “Harriman’s life from [Winston] Churchill’s daughter-in-law to [Bill] Clinton’s ambassador to France is full of highs and lows, as she constantly reinvents herself with the one thing people underestimate and can’t teach — emotional intelligence and knockout sexual charisma.” Sonia Purnell, biographer of Boris Johnson (and Pamela Harriman): Screams! by Ysenda Maxtone Graham. “In a year of very bad big things across the globe, it was curiously comforting to read about tiny personal inconveniences — from podcasters’ chummy but not very funny banter to non-functioning PVC windows to the uselessness of a folding umbrella.” Nick Thomas-Symonds, Cabinet Office minister and biographer: Turning Points by Steve Richards, looking at the great moments of change in British politics since 1945. “I’m privileged to be part of a government delivering change, so there is much to learn here, as Steve has written a book full of insight about modern political history.” Dan Jarvis, security minister and military memoir writer: Harold Wilson by former Cabinet minister Alan Johnson. “I’ve heard about this book called Long Way Home. Some people have told me it’s worth a read… but this year, I really enjoyed Alan Johnson’s biography of Harold Wilson. A brilliant tribute to one of our greatest prime ministers by one of the greatest prime ministers we never had.” Andrew Mitchell, Tory MP and memoir-writer: Precipice by Robert Harris. “A brilliant account of British politics, scandal and Whitehall 110 years ago just before the First World War.” Angela Smith, leader of the House of Lords: “It has to be Robert Harris’ Precipice. The combination of history, politics and a (probably) love affair against the backdrop of the start of the Great War is an absolute gem.” Anthony Seldon, prolific prime ministerial biographer: Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finkelstein, on how his parents lived through the Holocaust. “It’s beautifully written, deeply researched and profoundly moving.” Andrew Gimson, biographer of Boris Johnson: Disraeli by André Maurois. “A brilliant short biography, full of insights into English ways of thinking: Disraeli, the doctrinaire, prided himself on being an opportunist; Gladstone, the opportunist, prided himself on being a doctrinaire.” Chris Bryant, creative industries minister and writer: The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallet, the story of King James I’s favorite and lover George Villiers. “A brilliant evocation of the life of a man who loved a king not wisely but too well.”  Ellie Chowns, Green MP: The Deluge by Stephen Markley. “A deeply engaging tale of assorted heroes and misfits fighting a rising tide of far-right extremism in the context of frighteningly realistic near-future climatic extremes. I listened to this during the short campaign and found it both sobering and galvanising.” Seb Payne, Times leader-writer and author: Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan, a Dickensian portrait of modern London. “State of the nation novels are very hard to pull off, but once I picked up this I couldn’t stop. Having lived in and around Islington for much of the last decade, it completely captures the febrile mix of rich and poor slammed together.” Andrew Marr, New Statesman political editor: Caledonian Road. “A proper, big, multi-layered satire on London in our time.” Eluned Morgan, Welsh First Minister: There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, about the politics of water in ancient Assyria, Iraq and Victorian London. “I saw her speak about the book at the Hay Literary Festival this year and found her really inspiring. I loved the history, the characters and the switching between different centuries but with a common thread.” Iain Dale, broadcaster and former head of SW1 publishers Biteback: Finding Margaret, the story of Andrew Pierce’s late-in-life search for his birth mother. “Given that I cry in every episode of Long Lost Family, this was bound to make the eyes moisten. And it did. Amanda Platell emerges as a bit of a heroine from the story.” Tom Baldwin, Keir Starmer biographer: “Failed State by Sam Freedman shows ‘how’ we can improve our democracy while Autocracy, Inc by Anne Applebaum is a powerful reminder of ‘why’ — or what’s at stake for this government and others like it.” Yuan Yang, new Labour MP and author: Samarkand, by the French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf. “It’s beautifully written historical fiction, and transports you to the 11th century courts of Persia and Central Asia. It was given to me as a present by my general election organizer.” Liam Laurence Smyth, senior Commons clerk: Advise and Consent by Allen Drury. “This year I re-read the 1959 novel about the U.S. Senate, which sparked my interest as a teenager in how politics works.” Natalie Bennett, Green Party peer and former leader: The West: A New History of an Old Idea by archaeologist Naoíse Mac Sweeney. “She entertainingly debunks the whole idea of ‘Western Civilization’ as a North Atlantic construct through mini-biographies, from the refugee Herodotus fleeing xenophobic Athens to 17th century Queen Njinga in what is now Angola, compared at the time to ‘the wise women in Greece and the chaste ones in Rome.’ Possibly not a book to read in front of choleric traditionalists.” Anushka Asthana, ITV deputy political editor and author of a book on the election: Sovereign Territory by fellow Lobby journalist Andy Bell, a fictional story based in the Brexit wars. “Pacy political thriller. I couldn’t put it down, even if reliving that period was occasionally traumatising!” Rachel Wearmouth, book on Labour’s election victory co-author: Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. “It’s about the traumatic fallout within a super wealthy family some years after the father was kidnapped for a ransom. It’s relentless and much funnier than that synopsis suggests.” Peter Knowles, convener of the Press Gallery Book Club: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. “Re-imagines David Copperfield in the opioid-soaked Appalachians. I’ve never come across two pieces of writing ‘speaking’ to each other with such resonance and conviction.” Tim Shipman, chronicler of the Tory downfall: The Power Broker by Robert Caro, about Robert Moses who was behind most of New York’s 20th century municipal construction. “What does the man who has published 1,600 pages on politics this year read as a treat when he’s finished? A 1,300-page book on politics, of course … It’s an epic tale of principle, ego, greed, corruption and political manipulation — and beautifully written. Caro is the greatest non-fiction writer I’ve ever read.”

BRUSSELS — On Sept. 12, two trucks carrying 69 heavily pregnant heifers departed from a farm in the German state of Brandenburg on a journey of over 2,000 kilometers to Turkey. Neither the cows nor their unborn calves ever made it to their destinations. A bureaucratic hurdle at the EU’s external border stranded the animals, in deplorable conditions, for a month. Some died, smeared in their own manure, while the rest ended up being slaughtered after weeks of agony, without anesthesia. The border of EU member Bulgaria with Turkey is a major crossing point for live animals where repeated incidents of neglect and cruelty have been observed by NGOs for over a decade. Their findings expose flaws in the outdated rules governing livestock transports within the EU and a lack of oversight when they cross its external border. Hundreds of thousands of cows are exported to Turkey every year, many unreported in EU databases. Over half the trucks monitored by NGOs wait longer than six hours at the border — with animals stuck on board and often distressed after a long journey. In three in every 10 cases, delays last more than a day. In the case of the heifers from Brandenburg, it was the outbreak of a notifiable disease and an administrative error that sealed their fate. The cows themselves were not infected. “This happens again and again at this border,” said Iris Baumgärtner, vice chair at the Animal Welfare Foundation, explaining that animals are practically “stuck in no-man’s land.” Following this incident, Austria requested a discussion on imposing a de facto ban on exporting live animals from the EU to Turkey at a meeting of chief veterinary officers on Nov. 6. It argues that such cases prove that the precautionary principle in the current EU transport rules isn’t being respected. CATCH 22 Cases of bluetongue disease (BTV), an insect-transmitted virus that affects cattle and sheep, are soaring across Europe. To safeguard against its spread, countries like Turkey have imposed restrictions on exports of live animals from areas where the virus has been detected. Germany is not considered free of bluetongue, but the cattle were sent to Turkey anyway. This should have never happened, according to the country’s agriculture ministry. “The Brandenburg Veterinary Office had relied on the information provided by the importer that Turkey would also accept veterinary certificates where BTV-free status had been canceled,” a ministry spokesperson told POLITICO. Four days after the animals left Brandenburg, however, Turkish authorities denied entry to the cargo. “The statement [from the Turkish importer], which the Veterinary Office had not verified, led in this case to a decision being taken which caused massive suffering to the animals,” the spokesperson added. Baumgärtner, who was present at the border until the animals were slaughtered, recalls the stench from the trucks where the cows were kept. In warm temperatures, dead animals were left on board, while those still alive stood ankle-deep in their own excrement. Iris Baumgärtner recalls the stench from the trucks where the cows were kept. Dead animals were left on board. | Animals Angels, Animal Welfare Foundation, Karremann Some of the heifers gave birth without veterinary supervision and in such unsanitary conditions that their calves died shortly after. In the end 13 calves and 8 cows died in the two trucks, the NGO reported. Things didn’t improve once Turkish authorities relented and allowed the animals to be sent to a slaughterhouse in Edirne, 20 km from the border. “At the slaughterhouse they unloaded the animals that were still alive. There was also a newborn calf which was still alive, but the mother was a downer [unable to stand up],” the activist explained. With multiple cows unable to move, “they put ropes on their legs … dragging them out of the truck.” They left them there all night and only slaughtered them the next day, she added.  Unlike in the EU, in Turkey animals can be slaughtered without prior stunning, meaning they were killed without anesthesia and the remaining unborn calves suffocated in their mothers’ wombs. The Turkish agriculture ministry did not respond to a request for comment. HANDS TIED As the tragedy unfolded, the EU executive and German authorities stayed in contact with the Turkish side to solve the matter as quickly as possible. Initially, Germany proposed to have the cows slaughtered in the EU — even though they had tested negative for the disease. But reintroducing animals into the bloc isn’t allowed under its health rules, even in such cases. In other instances, livestock can be resold to other countries — such as Iraq or Lebanon — but animal welfare organizations opposed this as it would subject animals already in a weakened condition to the ordeal of another long-distance journey. It became clear that the only way out was to slaughter them, but even that took time. “German requests for support from the Turkish authorities in this regard initially went unanswered. It was only after a tough battle that it was possible to ensure that the animals were taken to a Turkish abattoir,” the German spokesperson said. Delaying a resolution was a dispute between the seller and the importer over the fate of the €170,000 shipment, according to Baumgärtner. In principle, such a situation could have been avoided under new rules proposed by the European Commission. The draft foresees stricter export requirements including a certification body assessing conditions in third countries, and for the receiving country’s authority to confirm that all documents are in order before transport begins. It also seeks to minimize delays by introducing fast lanes and the prompt inspection of live animals. However, the Commission itself in 2016 admitted having “no legal power to impose EU standards on Turkey.” That’s despite a prior European Court of Justice ruling which dictated that the EU is obliged by its own rules to ensure animal welfare standards are met all the way to their final destination. LIVE EXPORT BAN In practice, many animal welfare organizations and some EU governments consider that only a ban on live exports to third countries would prevent such incidents. A British ban on the export of live animals for slaughter took effect in May. “This case demonstrates that no one can really influence what is going on in a third country because they have totally other regulations,” said Baumgärtner from the animal welfare NGO. Meanwhile, another truck carrying 47 pregnant heifers from Romania has been stuck at the same spot since Oct. 18. Two have already died, Bulgarian media report.  And it’s not just the land border. There was a similar case in Spain two years ago, when two vessels with almost 3,000 cows on board were rejected by Turkish authorities over bluetongue fears. Spain had sent the animals’ certificates in advance, and they had been accepted by Turkey, according to Spanish authorities. As a result, the transport ships wandered at sea for two months until the animals were finally slaughtered in Spain. “The fundamental problem continues to lie in the transportation of animals over long distances,” German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said in the week the animals were slaughtered. “We need to have an effective solution at last, and this means one at EU-wide level.” LOSERS’ GAME Even though a proposal to reform the EU’s two-decade-old animal transport rules is finally on the table, things still aren’t moving forward. The European People’s Party (EPP), with the support of other parliamentary groups, wants to take another time-out, saying more data is needed to assess the impact of the new rules. For that, center-right Romanian MEP and co-rapporteur Daniel Buda has requested a study from the European Parliament’s in-house research service (EPRS), which could take up to six months. “To have a good report, grounded in field realities, this study is indispensable,” he told POLITICO. “As soon as we have this data, we will move to the next stage.” On top of the impact assessment accompanying the EU executive’s proposal, the Parliament itself created a special committee for the protection of animals during transport (ANIT) between 2020 and 2021.  The committee — which included Buda — held hearings with experts, gathered and published research, consulted member states, and undertook fact-finding missions. The result was a report with recommendations on how to improve animal transport rules, some of which were included in the Commission’s own proposal. Greens MEP Tilly Metz, also co-rapporteur for the file, has opposed the delay. “I consider it a top priority to launch the work on the Commission proposal for the animal transport regulation as soon as possible,” she told POLITICO, adding that there’s already “sufficient data to start digging into the proposal, so there is no need to delay the process further with yet another EPRS study.” While the new rules fall short on several aspects in the view of animal welfare groups, they’re eager to start negotiations on them as they could still have averted situations like those seen at the Turkish border. “Whilst you can’t polish a turd, you can roll it in glitter. It is time to get rolling and to stop with these delays,” NGO Four Paws’ boss Joe Moran said. In the Council of the EU, member states’ experts are also in no rush. Technical discussions, which have just recently started, are proceeding “calmly and with common sense,” an EU diplomat told POLITICO, saying they prefer that “what comes out is something solid and that can really be implemented.” As the talks drag on, the flaws in the bloc’s existing transport rules are being cruelly exposed by incidents such as the German heifers on the EU’s Turkish border — causing pain to the animals affected, and financial distress to the companies involved. This story has been updated.