The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions announced last week that they would propose a joint bid for the Games which would make them the first French hosts of the Winter Olympics since Albertville in 1992.

They are currently preparing a bid to submit to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

"The state supports this prospect of candidacy, while being very clear that it is carried first and foremost by the two regions and by the sports movement," Oudéa-Castéra said, as reported by Le Dauphiné Libéré.

"They know that they can count on us to help them with the candidature file, which will then be examined by the IOC Host Cities Commission by December 2023."

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes President Laurent Wauquiez and his Provence Alpes-Côte d'Azur counterpart Renaud Muselier tabled the proposal after more than a year of negotiations and claim that it is "now or never".

Newly-elected French National Olympic and Sports Committee President David Lappartient predicted that hosting the Winter Olympic and Paralympics in 2030 would be an excellent opportunity to carry on from the momentum of Paris 2024.

The search for a host in 2030 was looking worrying after Sapporo put its bid on hold due to the Tokyo 2020 bribery scandal.

Salt Lake City had hoped to stage the 2034 edition but stated it would be willing to bring forward its potential hosting as a last resort.

Since then the Swedish Olympic Committee has announced its intention to bid and is in talks with the IOC.

A bid from France would mean that the IOC would not be able to award the Games at its Session in Paris before the Olympics, as is currently planned.

Under the rules of the Olympic Charter, "The election of the host of the Olympic Games takes place in a country having no candidature for the organisation of the Olympic Games concerned."

The next scheduled IOC Session would not be until the middle of 2025 in Athens, where the main agenda item will be the election of IOC President Thomas Bach’s successor after the conclusion of his maximum two terms.

French world champion biathlete Émilien Jacquelin is among athletes supporting the joint proposal from Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

"This is a good thing, because you have to be able to adapt to new constraints," he said, as reported by Le Dauphiné Libéré.

"Concentrating winter sports on one city can be complicated. 

"With these two regions, there is a strong advantage and potential.

"If we are together, we are all the stronger so it's interesting.

"When we see the enthusiasm with Paris 2024, I hope that it can restore its nobility to the French ski world and in the mountains."