Big news: Summer Olympic Games may be organised in Budapest in 2036, 2040, or 2044

Gergely Karácsony, the Mayor of Budapest, has pledged to present a request from the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) and the Hungarian Paralympic Committee (MPB) to the city assembly. This request pertains to the participation of his administration and party officials in an exploratory process concerning a potential future Olympic Games in Budapest.

Housing crisis in Budapest

Karácsony stated that he and the leaders of the assembly’s party groups should collaborate with the Hungarian Olympic Committee in this joint exploration, as he mentioned in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

The mayor added that while the city does not require major sports facilities, it is worth investigating “all possibilities for revitalising Budapest’s public spaces and transport, while also alleviating the housing crisis.”

Photo: FB/Karácsony

Karácsony also noted that residents of Budapest should be consulted on whether they wish to host the Olympic Games in the city.

However, he stressed that elected city representatives must first participate in the planning process. “I will ask them to engage in this at next week’s session of the city assembly,” he wrote, adding that he has invited Zsolt Gyulay, the chairman of the MOB, and László Szabó, the chairman of the MPB, to attend the assembly session.

Orbán cabinet did not comply with previous agreement

During a press conference, Karácsony mentioned that Budapest might host the Summer Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. However, he acknowledged that numerous tasks must be addressed beforehand. He pointed out that the Hungarian government had not fulfilled its obligations regarding the 2023 World Athletics Championships. When questioned, he indicated that the government had failed to transfer half of the EUR 123 million “Healthy Budapest” support scheme.

The National Athletics Centre built for the 2023 championships. Source: Facebook/Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ

Karácsony also stated that he would only support the organisation of the Olympic Games in Budapest if it were a green and sustainable event. He noted that while most of the necessary buildings are ready, the city’s infrastructure is ill-equipped to accommodate the influx of tourists and athletes. Therefore, hosting the Olympic Games is only feasible if the government recognises Budapest’s leadership as a partner. He also suggested that Szeged could host the kayaking and canoeing competitions to mitigate the excessive concentration of sporting events in the capital.

Referendum on the Olympic Games

Experts have pointed out that the Paris Olympics demonstrated how competitions can be relocated to unconventional venues. In Paris, for instance, the Seine was used; in Budapest, the Danube is cleaner than its French counterpart, making it feasible to move the swimming marathon there. Experts have also proposed utilising museums for sporting events during the Olympics to promote sustainability.

Karácsony concluded that the final step in preparing for the Olympics would be a referendum in Budapest. The Momentum Movement advocates for a national referendum on this issue beforehand.

This initiative concerning the potential organisation of the Olympic Games in Budapest was the focus of Karácsony’s press conference:

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