Berlin’s incumbent government is facing criticism from opposition parties and the general public after revealing ambitions to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ruling party wants to bring the Olympics to Germany, Berlin Sports Minister Iris Spranger announced on May 27. The plans outline a desire to host a sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044 across a range of cities, Berlin included.
Spranger’s vision would see the events use a mixture of existing venues and temporary facilities. It is this sustainable concept which has surprisingly led the Green Party’s Klara Schedlich to state Berlin’s sport scene has “nothing to gain” from the bid.
“If you really love sport, you don’t invest in Olympic dreams, but in functioning sports facilities,” she said.
Schedlich explained Berlin has 55 sports halls closed due to structural defects, along with several swimming pools. She also highlighted the city has a renovation backlog of over $553m (€410m) for sports facilities.
“The Senate urgently needs to check its priorities… The Senate has no strategy for how it wants to repair dilapidated facilities, let alone what sustainable games could look like,” Schedlich’s statement continued.
“Instead, he dreams of temporary competitions in tourist places that disappear again after the Games.”
Has the Olympics lost its commercial power?
While Schedlich raises valid points about the long-term issues, the Olympics have been seen over the years as a method to boost economies and commercial opportunities.
Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, Visa published spending data from across the games. The payments giant found small businesses in Paris saw a 26% yearly rise in sales from Visa cardholders during the first Olympic weekend.
The most significant spending increases were in theatre and museums at 159%, food and groceries at 42%, restaurants at 36%, retail goods at 21% and entertainment at 18%.
Spending also rose in the 16 cities hosting Olympic events outside of Paris. Saint-Etienne, Lille and Marseille, where local Ligue 1 stadiums were used to host football events, saw spending increases of 214%, 100% and 38%.
However, Berliners may not buy into these statistics after hosting matches during the UEFA Euros 2024. Schedlich explained the football tournament showed major events do not automatically have positive effects.
“Half of the promised artificial turf was thrown away, and hotel occupancy was weak. Our tax money is better off with sports clubs than with the IOC,” she said.
An expensive dream
Schedlich’s tax money line may have a point, as past editions of the events have produced eye-watering numbers when it comes to costs.
According to Statista, the 2024 Paris Games cost $8.7bn to host. This figure doesn’t include investments in urban and transportation infrastructure. Notably, Germany faced several complaints about its transport infrastructure at the last UEFA Euros.
Additionally, costs tend to push the limits of what the host’s budget can afford. The 1992 Barcelona Games ran 266% over cost and Rio de Janeiro in 2016 resulted in the host spending 352% over budget.
There is also the problem of abandoned stadiums once all the celebrations are finished and tourists return home.
A recent example is the London Stadium, which was built in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics. Apart from being described as an eyesore, the venue failed to find much use until Premier League’s West Ham United moved there in 2016.
However, the stadium wasn’t designed with football in mind, which is crystal clear to supporters. Many West Ham fans loathe the ground and travelling supporters often criticise it as the worst venue in the English top-flight.
“The Olympics are an expensive prestige project. Berliners know this – and that is why the Senate shies away from real citizen participation, Schedlich concluded.
“Against the background of the massive austerity measures of the Senate, we demand that Berlin Sport first be made to work before the money is burned for Olympic dreams, which are already hopeless.”
