German NOC Leadership Faces Vote of Confidence

(ATR) The Ethics Committee of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) has recommended a vote of confidence for President Alfons Hörmann and the entire presidium at the next general meeting in December of this year.

Hörmann had been accused by employees in an anonymous letter at the beginning of May of spreading a climate of fear. Only an early election of the entire presidium could lead to lasting trust in German sport.

The ethics committee had been mandated by the DOSB to clarify the accusations against Hörmann for lacking leadership qualities ("culture of fear"). The letter speaks of a lack of respect and fair play toward association employees.

In the report, Hörmann is largely exonerated. With regard to the core accusation that a "climate of fear" prevails in the DOSB, the Ethics Committee noted and marveled at the discrepancy of contradictory opinions. These ranged from full confirmation of the accusation to the exact opposite: President Hörmann was leading the DOSB professionally and in a spirit of esteem, and it was rather a matter of large-scale intrigue against him.

However, the commission concluded that it was also up to President Hörmann "to change his management style in the future so that the spirit of respect and appreciation would be more clearly evident to third parties, especially to employees. It could not go on in German sport with such a different assessment of the acting persons and the lived structures" in this way. There is obviously a mutual lack of sufficient trust in the necessary confidence in the abilities of the employees.

"There is too much self-reflection, demotivation and rumors, dissatisfaction and lack of clarity. This is a state of affairs that must also be linked to the leadership behavior of the Executive Committee and the Board of Management. The presidium and board must also be reproached for this." The DOSB General Assembly is the right body for "reaffirming, restoring and reestablishing trust".

The ethics committee based its assessment on a summary report with statements from 46 informants as well as several discussions with, among others, those affected and DOSB employees. Further statements were received from the DOSB Presidium and Executive Board, as well as a statement from IOC President Thomas Bach. The author of the letter, on the other hand, did not respond to the Commission's offer of a meeting.

The DOSB presidium and executive board reacted to the report of the ethics committee in an initial statement: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank the ethics committee for its investigation and intensive consideration of the facts," it said on Monday afternoon. The recommendation of the ethics commission should be intensively discussed and deliberated.

Written by Piet Kreuzer

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