On October 26, residents of Munich will decide in a referendum whether the city should once again submit its candidacy to host the Summer Olympic Games. The outcome of the vote is significant for Germany's bid, DW reports.
Germany's bid to host the Olympic Games faces its first serious test. One of the four German candidates - Munich - is urging residents to vote on Sunday, October 26, to allow the city to host the Summer Olympics for the second time since 1972, followed by the Paralympics.
In addition to the Bavarian capital, Berlin, Hamburg, and the Rhine-Ruhr region, which includes cities like Cologne and Düsseldorf, are also in the running. DW answers the most important questions regarding the Munich referendum on the Olympics.
Who Can Vote and What Is the Referendum Question
All citizens of EU countries who have resided in Munich as their primary residence for at least two months and who will be at least 18 years old by October 26, 2025, are invited to participate in the vote. According to city officials, there are approximately 1.1 million such individuals. For the referendum to be considered valid, at least 10% of them must participate.
Residents of the Bavarian capital must answer the following question: "Do you support Munich's bid to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in 2036, 2040, or 2044?" The response options are: "yes" or "no."
What Is the Expected Outcome of the Referendum in Munich?
Making a prediction in this case is difficult, even though the majority of the city's population seems to support the Olympics and Paralympics. In a representative survey conducted by the polling institute YouGov on behalf of the news agency dpa, a total of 48% of respondents stated that they somewhat (27%) or fully (21%) support Munich's bid. 32% expressed either full (18%) or somewhat (14%) opposition to it. Meanwhile, 21% reported that they have not yet decided on their position.
Arguments of the Supporters of the Games
The initiators of the Olympics and Paralympics are campaigning for them, presenting them as "Games with heart and soul" and environmentally friendly Games with short distances between sports venues. 90% of the planned competition venues are located less than 30 km from the Olympic Village, which is proposed to be situated in the northeast of Munich, according to the organizing committee's statement. Only the locations for sailing, football, kayaking, canoeing, and mountain biking competitions will be further away.
Moreover, most of the necessary facilities already exist. Some of them only need to be modernized or expanded, and only a few need to be built from scratch. Supporters of the major sporting event expect that the Games in Munich will have a positive impact on the economy, housing construction, infrastructure, the mood in the city, and Germany's image in the world.
What Opponents of the Games Are Saying
Opponents of Munich's bid believe that the Olympics and Paralympics will be too expensive. Experts from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) estimate the necessary costs at 18-21 billion euros. Critics of the initiative also warn of unforeseen circumstances that could lead to even higher expenses - for example, if, as with the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, additional large-scale security measures need to be funded due to the political situation.
They also fear that if Munich's bid is approved, housing prices and the cost of living will rise. Additionally, there are environmental concerns: for instance, if, as planned, a mountain biking track is built in the mountainous area near Lake Tegernsee.
What Impact Will the Outcome of the Referendum Have?
"If it doesn't work out here, then it probably won't work out anywhere else," believes Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, referring to the three other potential candidates to host the Olympics in Germany.
If the referendum participants support the Games, it will send a clear signal - not only within the country but also to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which may interpret the outcome of the vote as a strong indicator of the overall attitude towards hosting the Olympics in Germany.
"A positive outcome of the referendum in Munich would certainly give our bid campaign an additional boost," admits Thomas Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).
What Happens After the Referendum?
Even if the residents of the Bavarian capital vote against submitting a bid to host the Games, the DOSB intends to continue negotiations with the IOC and implement its plan to ensure that Germany hosts the Olympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044.
Other candidates - Hamburg, the Rhine-Ruhr region, and Kiel as a potential venue for sailing competitions - also plan to hold referendums. The authorities in Hamburg have scheduled a vote on the Olympics for May 31, 2026. In Kiel, it will take place on April 19, 2026, and in the Rhine-Ruhr region, presumably on the same day.
However, the Constitution of Berlin - the capital of Germany, which is also a federal state - does not provide for the possibility of holding a referendum on the Olympics. There will only be a collection of signatures in support of the Games.
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