Keyword: theme park

The move has sparked allegations of favouritism since Philippe de Villiers, a far-right French politician who founded the Puy du Fou, is said to be a friend of President Emmanuel Macron.

A plan by the French state and private investors to concrete over around 280 hectares of fields at a site just north of Paris to create a business park and a vast 3-billion-euro theme park, leisure and tourism complex called EuropaCity is meeting with determined opposition from local politicians and environmentalists.

Dip in attendances in 2013 left theme park near Paris with €27.5m operating loss though it is still France's biggest attraction.

Right-wing Philippe de Villiers agrees deal which legal experts say is in open defiance of EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine crisis.