Sitting in his office at the Paris Olympic headquarters, Estanguet, who is overseeing the third Olympics to be held on French soil, is calm and confident despite the political storm surrounding him and the Games in France.

Early elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron in early June have overshadowed preparations for the Games and plunged the country into political uncertainty.

Last Sunday's second round of voting left more divisions than agreements, with a completely fragmented parliament raising questions about whether key ministers will be in place when the Games open in less than two weeks.

Macron will need to forge new agreements and build consensus with parties that, given the election results, will have different decision-making powers.

Estanguet told AFP he was "relieved" that the election was over, despite the ongoing dispute between left-wing, centrist and far-right lawmakers over who should form a new government.

"It was an important period for the country, which we fully respected," he said of the vote. "The good news is that we did not suffer delays and we were not affected."

After more than six years in office, the three-time Olympic gold medallist is cautious about discussing his country's political future, but admits that "we owe a lot to this government for what has been achieved in the last two years to ensure success," before adding, "It's true that sometimes it's good to simplify things, but I must stress that it's not up to me to decide."

Nothing is easy in a France that wants to present itself as a world power. The organising committee has opted for an unprecedented and extremely ambitious opening ceremony (originally planned for 600,000 spectators, later reduced by half), which will avoid the usual parade and fireworks at the athletics stadium.

Instead, it will take place on the River Seine, with between 6,000 and 7,000 athletes (out of the 10,500 taking part in the Games) sailing in a flotilla through the City of Light in front of an audience of up to half a million spectators.

Another issue is the discontent of Parisians, who continue to express their dissatisfaction with the temporary venues erected on major Parisian landmarks. Traffic problems and congestion on Paris' main thoroughfares are constant, but this seems to be of little concern to the chief organiser, who is confident that once the Games get underway, Parisians will enjoy their third home Games.

The Seine is causing last-minute problems. Unseasonal rainfall has prevented full rehearsals for the opening ceremony and pollution continues to make the river unfit for swimming, which could complicate matters further.

Against this backdrop, Estanguet reiterated, "We remain optimistic about our ability to realise our vision for the Games and hold events on the Seine.

"Since the beginning of July, the quality of the Seine has been good and we could have held the swimming and triathlon events every day," added a confident Estanguet, who admits that his toughest task has been to win over sceptics and the often pessimistic French.

"My role has been to defend our vision against all the critics, those who do not believe in it, those who would like to see it fail," he said.

Estanguet points out that construction has been completed on time and largely within budget, which is generally not the case for Olympic Games.

The Games are expected to be among the most cost-effective in history, with carbon emissions expected to be around half those of the 2012 London Olympics, although the final result will not be known until after the Games.

"We are going to see something beautiful, unprecedented and madly spectacular," concludes a calm Estanguet, who knows that after seven long years of preparation, the stage is set for what is hoped to be the greatest Olympics in history, or at least in Europe. History will determine the place it occupies.