Budapest 2024: Referendum Won't Kill Olympic Bid

(ATR) The Hungarian bid tells Around the Rings it is "not afraid" of a referendum on the city’s Olympic quest.

The anti-Olympic lobby in Hungary has gained some momentum in recent weeks, with a referendum now being considered by Hungarian electoral committee. But objectors to the bid still need to secure 200,000 signatures in just four months to trigger any referendum, which would not happen until next year.

But the bid team is not worried that a referendum might kill their Olympic dream.

Asked if bid chiefs were concerned, communications chief Iván Rózsa told ATR: "We are not worried at all. It first must be approved by the national referendum committee.

"Hungary is a democratic country and everyone can start a referendum on national matters. The Olympics has countrywide relevance," he said.

"We are not afraid at all because of the latest numbers," Rózsa added, pointing to a new nationwide public opinion poll which suggests two-thirds of all Hungarians would be "proud" to host a Budapest Olympics. This figure rises to 70 percent in the 18-33 age range, according to the survey conducted after the Rio Olympics by market research company IPSOS.

The poll results indicated that there has been no significant shift compared to the outcome of the last survey on the Olympic bid in December 2015, when the majority of Hungarians were also positive about hosting the 2024 Games.

Rózsa expressed confidence the bid would continue to enjoy the same support or better over the course of the next year leading up to the IOC host city vote in Lima.

"Hungary is an Olympic nation which honors its Olympic and Paralympic champions as national heroes. We have had a number of Budapest Olympic bids before with sound public support and, as we can see from the recent poll results, the bid is a matter of national pride for Hungarians. The responses we are receiving in our domestic public engagement program are overwhelmingly optimistic," he said.

Hungarian IOC member Pal Schmitt, speaking to ATR in Prague at a memorial for former Czech gymnast Vera Cavlaska, denied that Budapest was the underdog in the company of fellow 2024 bidders Los Angeles, Rome and Paris.

"I have 33 years experience being an IOC member and know that the winner can be very last minute in the marathon run," he said. "We have very good arguments, we are the only country who hasn’t organized the Olympic Games among the founders of the IOC.

"This region, including Prague and Bratislava and Warsaw – more than 100 million people around here in Europe have never had the opportunity to have the Olympic Games. So the rings are moving around according to Agenda 2020, so our chance is better or as good as any of the others."

He added: "I think Budapest is capable, not only as a sports power, but financially we can afford. Hungary is a dynamically developing country and we made a plan which fits into the long-term national developing plans, not only Budapest, but for the whole country. I am optimistic."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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