Promise of salvation Olympia: Senate presents colorful miracle bag

The Hamburg Senate today presented a more detailed concept for an Olympic bid for the years 2036, 2040 or 2044. Olympia is presented as the only way to realize necessary transport projects in Hamburg. Central issues such as financing remain nebulous, and the Olympic Summer Games remain far from ecological sustainability, even according to the concept presented.

Eckart Maudrich, spokesperson for NOlympia Hamburg:

“If the Hamburg Senate were to believe that Hamburg would be thrown up if the Olympics did not come, because Deutsche Bahn and the Federal Government would not provide money for projects such as the U5, the S6 or the renovation of the main railway station. This self-depletion of the second largest metropolis in the Federal Republic of Germany is in contradiction to the exaggerated self-confidence of the members of the Senate as regards compliance with the costs of the Olympic Games – the Senate still has no answers to open questions such as the costs of security, which amounted to 1.7 billion euros in Paris and were simply left completely open in the Hamburg financial concept. Or the construction of a multifunctional arena in the Volkspark, which would supposedly be built quite independently of Olympia. In cities such as Los Angeles, Milan or London, Olympic Games have contributed to rising rents – contrary to what the Senate claims, this problem is not mitigated by housing in the Olympic Village – which in fact arises entirely independently of Olympia in the Science City. Senate promises Olympic Games without Olympic Lanes – extra lanes for IOC officialsinside, athletesInside and Journalistinside. It is completely open whether the IOC would get involved – and if a city becomes the venue for the Olympics, the IOC will determine the rules. The Senate promises environmental sustainability and climate-positive Olympic Games, for example by recycling temporary stands and sports venues – similar to Paris 2024, which nevertheless has a catastrophic climate balance of 2.1 million tonnes of CO2. For the Hamburg Senate, Olympia is a colourful miracle bag. A look behind the facade shows: There is little substance behind this, but massive financial risks for the hamburgersinside and for future generations.’