Who must Poland compete for the organisation of the Olympic Games? A review of candidacy from around the world. Part 3.

Authors: Mieszko Rajkiewicz – Polish Institute of athletics Diplomacy, Miłosz Wojtala, Sebastian Muraszewski

Since 2023 Polish authorities have publically declared their willingness to organize Olympic Games in Poland. Both the erstwhile governing organization and the current organization – in the context of possible games in Poland have a akin position, which disagree mainly in the time of the organization. It was said to be 2036, now attention is paid to 2040 or 2044. Regardless of the date, we must pay attention to who we are possibly competing for the organization of the games. Poland is not the only country that expresses specified interest.

Part 3 — Europe

Spain – Madrid (?)

W Spain's Olympic Games have only been held erstwhile so far. But they were peculiar games in many ways. We're talking about 1992 and Barcelona, of course. At the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, the definition of sports mega-events. These games were at the same time well organized and positively influenced the city at the same time under favorable circumstances in global politics, as they took place in the first phase of political expansion after the Cold War period.

In the 21st century, Spain frequently sought to organize more Olympic games. However, Madrid ineffectively fought for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 games. In the context of the Winter Olympic Games, the Barcelona-Pireneje task was created, but yet it was not implemented more seriously and as a consequence of protests and disagreement with the Aragon region, the full task was withdrawn[1]. However, the thought of organizing games in Spain has not been completely abandoned. Even in early October 2024, David Escude, a sports advisor at the Barcelona City Council, declared the city's aspirations to organize the Olympic Games in 2036 or later years. Although at the same time he acknowledged that the infrastructure of the 1992 Games was not suitable for the organization of modern editions (or future editions), it would so be essential to revitalize the facilities[2]. However, the thought fell very quickly. At the City Council, a vote was taken on whether it was worth continuing this idea. The Council spoke against this idea. Catalan independency communities in the Council, but besides left and right-wing communities voted for them. The focus was on more crucial problems of the city, including the mass influx of tourists. Mr Escude at the plenary session stated that the organisation of the games in the close future is illogical – within 1 period the same man sent 2 different messages on the same subject[3]. Anyway – Barcelona has moved distant from the games. Madrid so remains.

Spain's experience (and in peculiar Madrid) has effectively discouraged this city from making major efforts. We besides request to pay attention to who is in charge of this city. The president of Madrid Community and the mayor of the city are from the People's Party. Spain's ruling group is the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. So we have different environments – right and left. The ICCOL requires full cooperation on the line of the city-organizer of the games and the government of the country. In the case of the Spanish situation, it is hard to talk of programme compatibility, the possible organisation of the Olympic Games would affect a very broad political consensus. The president of the Madrid Community, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, publically acknowledged that the Community was working on the thought of a possible organisation of the games in Madrid. Although it should be admitted that she said this somewhat on a wave of enthusiasm about securing the right to the Grand Prix expression 1 organization in Madrid[5].

In the case of Spain, therefore, we have the decommissioned Barcelona and the preliminary declaration from Madrid that has been dropped in the ether. The capital of Spain is further weakened by the turbulent relations between the left-wing government environment led by Pedro Sanchez and the right-wing governing environment of Madrid. Without a full organization agreement, Spain will be very hard to compete nevertheless for the Olympic Games. To date, no authoritative messages have been made from Spain, so we cannot take this country more into account in the context of the closest selection process of the Olympic host in 2036. However, this should not be amazing in principle, as if the games in 12 years are held in Asia (India or Qatar), the European position is gaining importance in subsequent years. Until then, the Spaniards can prepare a more concrete project, any visions or more than “we are working on it”. At present, however, Spain is not an crucial player in the fight for the future games.

Hungary – Budapest

In fresh years on the occasion of almost all edition of the games, Budapest initially designed the candidacy, but it was not always possible to enter the formal way with the MKOl. In the context of the 2024 games, the Hungarian capital besides probed the anticipation of preparing an offer for the MKOl. The right to organise the 2024 Olympic Games was granted in 2017. It was then that opposition of opposition parties and society to the plans to organize the games in 2024 (Nolympia movement) led to the withdrawal of the candidacy. More than 266,000 residents of Budapest signed a referendum petition and the government was frightened of defeat in the vote. The initiative led to the birth of the Momentum political organization (now 10 representatives in the Hungarian parliament) which wants to lead to a referendum besides in the case of the upcoming Olympic candidacy for subsequent editions[7]. This succeeded – the Hungarian ultimate Court approved a referendum in Budapest on this issue. The residents will answer the question: Do you agree that the Budapest City Hall should make an offer for the organisation of the 2036 summertime Olympics and Paralympics? According to the polls, the expected consequence of this referendum is simply a triumph against the organization of the games in the Hungarian capital[8]. Before the Hungarian government, intensive working time on this fact. The date of the referendum remains unknown for now.

The consequence is the organisation of many global sporting events by Hungary, specified as Euro 2020 matches, the 2023 planet Athletics Championship, the 2017 planet Swimming Championship and the 2022 European Handball Championship in 2022. Plus, Hungary regularly hosts expression 1 races. However, the economical crisis in the country has given Prime Minister Orban himself the chance to apply for fresh global sporting events, the organisation of which settled between 2023 and 2024[9].

The subject of the games again became part of the public debate, although the reaction of the public was akin to that of 2017. 58% of Hungarians in the net probe opposed this idea[10]. But there's a large change this year. Compared to the erstwhile candidacy, Budapest is now ruled by the opposition mayor, Gergely Karácsony. In an interview with the media, he stated that he would agree to organize the games by his own city if the state made the essential investments (mainly for urban infrastructure) for the purposes of the event and would give back the funds that the capital is taking in fresh years – in 2025 it is expected to be 90 billion forints, or almost a billion zlotys. The city had already been expected to receive many funds from the state for hosting various sporting events, including contributions to wellness care for the 2023 planet Championships, but the government failed to honour the agreement[11]. However, regardless of the political dispute on the Budapest-government line, the mayor of the Hungarian capital went to Paris during the Olympic Games, where he met with MKOl president and the mer of Paris. The communicative from this gathering confirms Budapest's readiness in terms of sports infrastructure, but there are clear shortcomings in road, air or urban development[12].

The possible of organizing the games in Budapest in 2036 or later does not appear for Hungarians in favorable colors. present there are no concrete signals on a more serious approach to the preparation of the Olympic offer. Viktor Orban's force on Budapest has besides been reduced due to the fact that Hungarians seem to be aware of the deficiency of a greater chance of success in the race after 2036. most likely well informed in the interior environment of the MKOl, the Hungarian associate of the MKOl Balázs Fürjes is the IKOl committee coordinating preparations for the 2032 games. Being straight active in the most fresh processes in the ICC itself, he has the most crucial information and there is no uncertainty that he has prepared for the Hungarian Olympic Committee the essential cognition of the 2036 perspective. Viktor Orban thus gained respective years to stabilise political issues related to the Mayor of Budapest, which will let to prepare for an approach to the Olympic offer for 2040 or 2044.

Denmark — Copenhagen

Copenhagen is another European city where signals have emerged about the possible organisation of the Olympic Games in the future. However, it is crucial to point out – it is not a circumstantial project. The communicative that appeared in Dani is related to Mia Nyegaard. She is an authoritative at the city office liable for the cultural and amusement sector. As early as 2022, she publically expressed her desire to prepare the cheapest games for many years, the cost of which, according to her, would be EUR 3.3 billion[13]. Copenhagen has never officially applied for the organisation of the Olympic Games, so if public declarations are developed, Copenhagen can join the fight for the Olympics.

In September 2024, the city's authorities allocated half a million Danish crowns (about EUR 67 000) in the budget for 2025 to submit applications for the 2030 Olympic Youth Games and preliminary preparations for the 2036 Olympic application[14]. Nyegaard went with the delegation to the Paris Games, where she watched the organization closely. In the face of fresh games, preliminary concepts have emerged utilizing the city's tissue and port capabilities – any competitions could take place in Nyhavn port and an Olympic village could be prepared on a cruise. There is even talk of the possible preparation of the Olympic stadium, which would be demolished after the games[15]. However, the possible task of the Danish Games would surely affect another urban centres, because, as the Danish media note, Copenhagen itself does not have the right sports or accommodation infrastructure and Danish society does not show large desire for activity[16]. According to Lars Lundov, the manager of athletics Event Denmark, which is liable for many global sporting events in Denmark, would besides gotta lower its expectations of Copenhagen[17], which seems rather real given the improvement of the MKOl and the Agenda 2020+5 programme.

The thought of organizing the games in Denmark has not been able to supply a serious strengthening, and it has already encountered considerable problems. The face of this thought – Mia Nyegaard, who has become the leading figure of the extremist Left, has been accused of utilizing mobbing at work, which clearly distances her from the position of the evolution of her own importance in the City of Copenhagen[18]. This makes possible Nyegaard problems likely to negatively affect the thought of preparing any Olympic offer in the coming months. At this point, Denmark should not be considered as an active bidder in the process, but it is worth noting that a certain communicative exists in this country.

United Kingdom – London or Birmingham (?)

London was the host city of the 2012 Olympic Games. Signals of wanting to reorganize the event have already appeared 7 years later, or comparatively soon. There is no uncertainty that the capital of Britain is simply a city ready to organize the games in almost all way now: sports, transport or hotel. The thought of a British Olympic offer again must so be seen above all in the context of the political process: whether it is firm or not. UK athletics – a government agency dealing with Olympic sports – expressed specified a aspirations in the context of the 2036 games. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the occasion of the 2021 election campaign, utilized this thread and besides reported that he would make efforts to organize the games in 2036 or 2040[19]. This communicative was later maintained and the capital of Britain most frequently declared its willingness to organize games. Mayor Khan went to Paris for the 2024 games to talk to the IOC community, build the aspirations of London, and expressed his desire to talk to UK Prime Minister Keir Stramer on this matter[20]. The fact that the Mayor of London and the Prime Minister are Labour organization helps.

The city that expressed specified a declaration is Birmingham. The 2022 British Commonwealth Games were held in this city. Birmingham had already applied for the right to organize the games in 1992, but lost to Barcelona. Joel Lavery, strategical manager for sporting events in Birmingham and the West Midlands, argues that this must be the capital of the region. The arguments he uses are, among another things, the willingness to organize games cheaper at a cost (bets lower than London or Manchester) and the already essential sports infrastructure in the city and the full region[22].

UK Sport, preparing a fresh strategy for the next 20 years, prioritizes the request to organize the women's football planet championship. The issue of the Olympic offer is in further orbit[23]. At this point, there is besides a deficiency of a clear declaration on where the UK is expected to host the possible future games. Thus, it is certain that the British abandoned 2036 by focusing on the 1940s. At the earliest you can talk about a possible British Olympic offer for 2044. In the UK alone, investigation is presently underway on the creation of 1 urban centre as a sports centre in the country. The "UK City of Sport" competition is to service this purpose. The analysis is liable for the University of Loughborough and Counsel Ltd., based on the results of Spirit investigation since 2012[24]. The result of the competition and the feasibility survey may influence the form of the British Olympic offer in a fewer years.

All the above indications indicate that the British will proceed to make the concept of a possible candidacy for the organisation of the Olympic Games. erstwhile this country seriously enters the game and talks with the ICC, it may turn out that in a fewer years we will see Britain as 1 of the favorites. The coherence of action, experience, ready infrastructure, social support and political support are very crucial elements strengthening the possible candidacy of the British. However, will the ICC again want to enter the same marketplace as it was in the 21st century, while many fresh states declare themselves ready to talk to the ICC? Much depends on which city will be the main centre of the British candidacy. Birmingham's chances are increasing because, in fact, the capital of the West Midlands is simply a fresh position for the ICC that may be attractive in the future.

Germany — Berlin/Hamburg/Lipsk/Monachium/North Rhine-Westphalia

The last time the Olympic Games were held in Munich in 1972. In later years, attempts were made to regain the right to organise the games, but never succeeded. On the occasion of the 2024 Olympic Games, the city aspiring to this name was Hamburg. However, the task was rejected by residents in a referendum. What is important, however, is that the subject has not been completely erased and many cities and regions in this country are openly talking about the desire to address this challenge. Public consultations have been held since mid-2023 and are held in Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Dusseldorf and Munich[25].

There were even signs of a possible joint candidacy with Poland or Israel, but yet these ideas were withdrawn. The media widely recalled the broad political context of the 1936 Nazi Games and Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. Germany so focuses on 2040, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the unification of the country.

This was expressed just before the Olympic Games in Paris. The German government together with the German Confederation of Olympic Sports (DSOB) officially declared the preparation of the Olympic offer for 2040. The thought is supported by Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Signed in this case Memorandum of Understanding[26]. However, the challenge will be to make a coherent concept that will besides have public support. For example, according to the Funk media group's probe, 62% of Berlin's citizens are opposed to organizing games in their city. In addition, you can see an interior German competition, due to the fact that cities declare their willingness to organize themselves. This is expressed by Hamburg, Munich or Dortmund[27].

When assessing the construction process of the German Olympic offer, it is hard not to address the current political situation in this country. Although DSOB is simply a separate independent entity, its activities must be linked to the policy direction of the central government. And here's quite a few trouble. Chancellor Olof Scholz personally supported the thought of organizing the games in 2040, but the political earthquake in this country could seriously slow down the preparation of the Olympic offer. national elections will be held in Germany in the coming months. At the same time, shortly (the first half of 2025) DSOB planned to choice the host city/region around which the full concept would be built. In December 2024, the DSOB general gathering on the substance is scheduled to take place[28]. Under current political conditions, it is hard to measure whether a circumstantial thought will be created. On the another hand, we can anticipate an effort to adopt a preliminary resolution that will place the German trial on circumstantial tracks. This may concern dialog with the ICC, which now seems to have halted talks about the future games. The upcoming ICC presidential elections (March 2025) will be crucial for the reconstruction of many Olympic offers for the 1940s. Germany is simply a country with a sports infrastructure (although a large part of the facilities definitely require renovation), a wide urban, airport or accommodation infrastructure. Political will besides indicates the importance of organising games for this country. erstwhile a coherent concept emerges, Germany will be able to work on an crucial key element, which they have least – that is, social support. However, if Germany sends a letter of intent to the ICC and focuses on 1 city/region, then the German Olympic offer for 2040 should be seen as very strong.

All the candidates examined represent possible competition for Poland. If the Polish government, together with the Polish Olympic Committee and the full sports environment, develops an Olympic offer for 2040 or later, the position of individual offers from another countries should be monitored very closely. At the same time, it is worth observing and analyzing interior processes in the ICC. cognition of the current situation in all these countries (and those that will appear in the future), as well as how the offers of another countries measure the ICC will let to build appropriate communication in talks with the ICC. In addition to social support and a coherent concept, this is simply a key origin for the Olympic Movement to play diplomatically.

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