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Statues overlook an area outside of Rome's Olympic Stadium. EMPICS Sport

Rome could be the next Olympic bid derailed due to public opposition

Radicali Italiani today called for a referendum before the Eternal City continues its bid for the 2024 Games.

ROME’S BID TO host the 2024 Olympics was challenged today when the Radicali Italiani political party launched calls for a referendum, describing the Games as a “very risky bet”.

The party launched its campaign on www.referendumroma2024.it, detailing actual costs incurred by previous Olympics hosts and claiming it would cost Italian taxpayers “billions of euros”.

Rome, Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles are all in the running to host the Games in 2024 although a number of other cities pulled out due to a lack of public support following referendums.

Radicali Italiani noted that Boston, under pressure from the ‘No Boston Olympics’ campaign, and Hamburg, following a referendum, had decided not to bid for 2024. Saint Moritz, Monaco and Krakow all pulled out of hosting the 2022 winter Olympics following a referendum, while Oslo did the same despite Norway backing the Games in a referendum.

“The candidature is official, it has the political and financial support of the government, you would think that everything’s already been decided,” said a statement by Radicali Italiani.

But in fact, there is still time for public debate on the costs and benefits of a project that will cost us billions of euros in taxes.”

The party’s secretary Riccardo Magi said “such an important decision for the future of the capital should be taken by the public.

“This is why we’re asking Presidente (Matteo) Renzi to offer a referendum, as has been done in many other cities keen on becoming candidates.”

The party notably underlined the spiralling costs of hosting the Games, claiming it cost London 2012 organisers £8.77 (€11.76) billion to host the Games — over three times the estimated budget of £2.4 (€3.2) billion.

“Costs have always risen in respect to initial estimations, in some cases by 800%, with obvious consequences for the pockets of the citizens.”

The host of the 2024 Olympics will be announced in September 2017.

© AFP 2016

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    Mute Philip Conor Farrell
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    Jan 8th 2016, 3:11 AM

    Can’t blame them.

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    Mute El Dineeño
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    Jan 8th 2016, 10:16 AM

    It’s becoming more common for local opposition to cause places to pull out of Olympic and World Cup bids. It’s not a good deal for the hosts – you have to grovel before the IOC/FIFA, give them lots of bribes, change your laws to accommodate them and their sponsors (even giving them exclusive use of bus lanes in London), and then watch them make off with all the loot, tax-free, at the end of it.

    The flipside of this is that more and more events will be given to resource-rich dictatorships like Russia and Qatar, as the locals don’t get a say in the bid, the leader gets a boost in prestige, and the auditors will do what they’re told if they want to see their families again…

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    Mute Jimmy McCarthy
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    Jan 7th 2016, 6:32 PM

    Such a pity that they cannot agree on a permanent home for the games. Each member country of the Olympic movement could then contribute to its establishment and up keep. It could also be used for other large events to help defray the costs.

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    Mute Philip Conor Farrell
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    Jan 8th 2016, 3:10 AM

    If that happens, it would have to be Athens.

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    Mute Luke Mc Gahren
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    Jan 7th 2016, 10:42 PM

    It must be a huge financial strain to have all the infrastructure so many sports in just one city in comparison to hosting a football or rugby world cup. Will be someday before we see Dublin’s Olympic bid. Maybe the Waterford Whisper might release an Article on Waterford’s bid since cities are stepping down

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    Mute El Dineeño
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    Jan 8th 2016, 10:26 AM

    Athletics – Regional Sports Centre
    Football & Rugby 7′s – Walsh Park
    Swimming – Waterford Crystal Sport & Leisure Centre
    Cycling – Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford route, track cycling can feck off, it’s the Indycar of cycling
    Golf – the Municipal out past John’s Hill (we can’t afford Faithlegg or Waterford Castle)
    Basketball – I dunno, wherever the Snowcream Wildcats played

    The bid basically writes itself as far as I’m concerned.

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    Mute Gazza
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    Jan 7th 2016, 6:50 PM

    Hope it’s Rome !

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    Mute Sloop John G
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    Jan 7th 2016, 6:58 PM

    Yeah hosting the Olympics is very costly. I don’t know how Brazil can afford to have the games in Rio this year, 2 years after hosting the World Cup. It’s been said that Athens hosting the Olympics in 2004 was the start of the Greek economy going into free fall. Even the Brits are feeling the pinch after a very successful Olympics in London 2012.

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    Mute Spoddgy
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    Jan 8th 2016, 1:37 AM

    The London Olympics was a major employer in the construction during a tough time for the economy. Plenty of Irish people worked there after the crash!

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