Organizers of Berlin’s Olympic bid are seeking dialogue with The Left, who came top in Sunday’s election in the German capital but are against the city hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
After the election win, Elif Eralp, who is poised to become Berlin’s next mayor, said she believes that the city’s bid to host the Olympics has virtually no chance of success.
“Ms Eralp wants to unite the city and bring people together. So it would be respectful to speak with the bid’s leaders one more time beforehand, even if her position is clear,” said Berlin’s Olympics commissioner Kaweh Niroomand.
Eralp said that she has “made it very clear” that she considers the Olympic bid and the “many more millions and billions” that are to be spent with hosting the Games are “a waste of taxpayer money.” She also doesn’t see “any benefit for Berlin.”
Twenty members of the board of trustees for Berlin’s Olympic bid, which includes representatives from politics, business, sports, civil society, and religion, wrote to Eralp.
“The campaign is over. Now is the time to weigh the arguments, listen to one another, and re-examine the positions taken during the campaign in light of the concept that is now available,” the letter states.
“That’s why we appeal to you, Ms Eralp: Please take the time to carefully review Berlin+ and the concept we developed together.”
The board, which includes The Left politician Dietmar Bartschhopes, hopes for a discussion ahead of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) extraordinary general meeting on Saturday.
During the meeting, the DOSB will select Germany’s candidate to host the Olympics in 2036, 2040 and 2044. Besides Berlin, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region are also in the race.
“A decision of such far-reaching significance for Berlin should not be made hastily. With this bid, Berlin has the opportunity to set a long-term course for the city’s development and to showcase itself both nationally and internationally,” the board wrote in the letter.
“The Olympic and Paralympic Games are not just a project lasting a few weeks, but a vision for the coming years and, in particular, for the next generation.”
