“Now we’re moving”: Munich’s citizens say yes to the Olympics
When Mayor Dieter Reiter announced the Munich residents' resounding "yes" to an Olympic bid, loud cheers echoed through the "House of Sports" at the supporters' party. According to the preliminary results of the public survey, 66.4 percent voted in favor of the Bavarian capital's bid to host the Summer Games and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. "This is a good day for Munich," Reiter said.
For Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU), the clear result of the vote was also a "very strong signal." "Now we're getting started. Now we're pulling ahead," Söder assured, adding: "A fantastic story today." Jörg Ammon, head of the Bavarian State Sports Association (BLSV), called it a "dream result."
Whether there will actually be a second Olympic Games in Munich after 1972 remains to be seen. The proponents wanted to send a signal to the other German potential hosts, Berlin, Hamburg, and the Rhine-Ruhr region, with the best possible result. The calculation was: the higher the approval rating, the better Munich's chances in the internal competition. "This will be a huge food for thought for the competitors in Germany," said Reiter.
Minister of State for Sport Christiane Schenderlein immediately sent congratulations to Munich. "People support the idea of bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Germany. And: This is the first successful Olympic referendum in Germany. I would be delighted if it wasn't the last," said the CDU politician.
Critics of Munich's bid reacted with disappointment. "This is a democratic decision that we respect," said perhaps the most prominent opponent, Green Party politician and State Parliament Vice President Ludwig Hartmann, to the German Press Agency in Munich. The past few weeks have been a David versus Goliath battle against the city's financially strong pro-campaign, Hartmann emphasized. "At the same time, criticism of the costs, sustainability, and transparency remains relevant," Hartmann said.
In total, more than 460,000 of the 1.097 million eligible voters cast their votes in Munich's referendum. Reiter called this "incredibly great." Many took advantage of the opportunity to vote by mail, ensuring record turnout. 305,201 eligible voters voted yes, 154,207 no. "There wasn't a single outlier; all districts are in favor of the Olympic bid," said Mayor Reiter, adding: "I believe we can now approach the bid with renewed, fresh energy."
While no referendum is planned in Berlin, Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr region, as well as Kiel as a potential host city for sailing competitions, are also planning referendums. "The result confirms the enthusiasm for the Olympic idea throughout Germany," said North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) in his greetings to Munich. He looked forward to a fair competition for the best bid.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) plans to decide on the candidate with which it will apply for the bid by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will ultimately award the Games, in the autumn of 2026.
"I am convinced that this result will also provide positive impetus for the upcoming votes in the other candidate regions," said DOSB President Thomas Weikert. "For the DOSB, it is certainly a great incentive to resolutely continue the path toward a German bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to tackle the upcoming tasks with enthusiasm together with our member organizations."
At its general meeting on December 6 in Frankfurt am Main, the national umbrella organization will decide on the final path for selecting the German candidate. It is expected that Germany could face strong international competition from countries such as India, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
But Munich's Olympic planners didn't want to let this dampen their joy over the citizens' vote. "It's a great day for Olympic and Paralympic athletes," said BLSV President Ammon. Supporters believe the Olympics could advance the city in a similar way to the Summer Games over 50 years ago.
It was also the last time Germany hosted the Olympics. Munich also hopes to capitalize on the fact that many sports venues, such as the Olympic Stadium, already exist and could be used again. Twelve years ago, a bid for the 2022 Winter Games was rejected by Munich's citizens.
From the perspective of professional associations, athlete representatives, and the federal government, German sport also urgently needs a long-term goal with significant appeal in order to better position itself financially and structurally. Critics argued that such a major event would cost far too much, especially since the money could be better used for urban development or housing construction.
RND/dpa
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