Those involved in the delivery of the Games, most notably chief organiser Tony Estanguet, remain optimistic and are urging their fellow citizens to focus on the positives.

"It's my role to explain that it's a fantastic opportunity for our country to host this event, to welcome the world and also to showcase what this country can do and achieve. We all know there are always a lot of questions, a lot of concerns before an event of thismagnitude," he told reporters.

Construction progress remains on schedule and the final budget figure will only be known "after the Olympics," said Court of Auditors President Pierre Moscovici, comparing it to the Games in Athens, London or Rio de Janeiro.

During the inauguration of a new Aquatics Centre in early April, French President Emmanuel Macron seemed a little exasperated, expressing frustration at what he perceived as a lack of public and media recognition for the organisers.

"Take a little perspective and look at the history of previous Games," the 46-year-old urged reporters, promising that the Paris edition would make the nation "proud." Instead, France is embroiled in a national debate about identity and race.

Influential far-right politicians have criticised the Games' poster for omitting a Christian cross and denounced the choice of artists for the opening ceremony. The possible appearance of Aya Nakamura sparked controversy among conservatives, with France's culture minister denouncing the criticism as "pure racism."

Veteran sociologist Herve Le Bras was sceptical about the potential for the Olympics to become a moment of national celebration. "Instead, there is a lot of evidence that they will underline the major fractures in France - in particular the fracture between Paris and the rest of the country," he told AFP in an interview.

"We felt then that everything was moving in the direction of progress. We're not in that period now. We're on the defensive," he said. The Olympics coincide with a period of economic hardship due to the escalating cost of living, making the typically high ticket prices for events difficult to afford.

"You hear the same thing at all levels of society. 'We're organising a show, we're paying for it, but we can't take part'", Paul Dietschy, a sports historian at the Universite de Bourgogne-Franche-Comte in eastern France, told AFP.

There are also concerns about the rapidly increasing public debt, exacerbated by the unveiling of the new Olympic Village in the midst of a housing crisis in the country. "This makes people uncomfortable," Le Bras suggested.

While previous polls have shown majority support for the Olympics, a survey conducted on 25 March by the Viavoice group found that 57 per cent of Parisians surveyed expressed "little" or "no" enthusiasm for the event.

Emmanuel Gregoire, deputy mayor of Paris, expects the mood to change. "Everyone was a little bit afraid about the security side during the Games and... now it is really changing," he said.