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Should politics be kept out of sporting and cultural events?

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I cover international relations with a focus on Switzerland, lead journalistic investigations, and conduct deeply personal interviews on challenging topics. Over 25 years in journalism. Graduated from Moscow State University's Faculty of Journalism and the French Press Institute in Paris. Former TV/radio host in France and Russia. I am a published author and documentary filmmaker who has interviewed presidents and rock stars.

During the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest the Israeli singer Eden Golan had to be accompanied by security guards, protecting her from protesters demanding she pull out. The Russian contestant was not invited because of the war in Ukraine. Two weeks later the Cannes Film Festival became a political stage, with actors such as Cate Blanchett appearing to wear dresses in the colours of the Palestinian flag. Demonstrations at the festival called for the release of political prisoners in Russia and Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Russian athletes are only allowed to participate in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics as neutrals. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is faced with whether External linkRussians should also be allowed to take part in the opening ceremony.

Cultural and sporting events are being increasingly politicised. Is this a problem? Does politics affect the objectivity of cultural and sporting events? Can the 2024 Olympics be non-political if Russian athletes are banned? Join us in this debate and share your view on whether politics should be kept out of sporting and cultural events.

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Contributions must adhere to our guidelines. If you have questions or wish to suggest other ideas for debates, please, get in touch!
Chema Casillas
Chema Casillas
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

After the painful opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, one wonders why allegories are being made about issues so far removed from sport, such as sexual, political and religious tendencies. I dare to question the lack of connection of many leaders with the healthy and altruistic spirit of sport.

Tras el penoso acto de inauguración de los JJOO, cabe preguntarse el porqué se hace alegoría de cuestiones tan alejadas del deporte, como la tendencia sexual, política y religiosa. Me atrevo a cuestionar la nula vinculación de muchos dirigentes con el sano y altruista espíritu deportivo.

Felix von Wartburg
Felix von Wartburg
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

It is impossible and makes no sense to separate sport and politics. It would be much better to separate sport and business. When people compete against people, national (and in our Swiss wrestling sport even regional) interests have been at the forefront for thousands of years. Sport and fighting is the humanitarian form of war. The vocabulary of sports reporting uses similar expressions to war reporting. Howls of war can also be heard in the changing rooms of young athletes. What is reprehensible, however, is the commercialisation of sport. And because commercialism and politics are so closely intertwined, sport suffers and is abused. It is not the politicisation of sport that is the problem, but the commercialisation.

Sport und Politik voneinander zu trennen ist unmöglich und macht auch keinen Sinn. Viel eher sollte man Sport und Wirtschaft voneinander trennen. Wenn Menschen gegen Menschen antreten stehen seit Jahrtausenden auch nationale (in unserem Schweizer Schwingsport sogar regionale) Interessen im Vordergrund. Sport und Kampf ist die humanitäre Form von Krieg. Das Vokabular von Sportberichterstattungen bedient sich ähnlicher Ausdrücke wie Kriegsberichterstattungen. Auch in den Umkleidekabinen von Nachwuchssportlern ist Kriegsgeheul hörbar. Verwerflich ist hingegen die Kommerzialisierung von Sport. Und weil Kommerz und Politik so eng miteinander verflochten sind leidet der Sport darunter und wird missbraucht. Nicht die Verpolitisierung von Sport ist das Problem, sondern die Kommerzialisierung.

Bellarivaca@aol.com
Bellarivaca@aol.com
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Unfortunately, extreme sporting achievements are already being used for political purposes by several countries. They are a great advertisement for the country and much less for the successful athlete. Money now sets the tone in sport and is therefore the wrong prerequisite for a fair fight.
More and more, cultural events are being misused to put various sexualities centre stage instead of the arts.
After a while, it just gets boring, absolutely uninteresting. That's why I don't watch any of these TV shows any more.

Leider werden extreme Sportleistungen von mehreren Ländern bereits sehr fuer politische Zwecke genutzt. Sie sind ein grosses Aushängeschild fuer das Land und viel weniger fuer den erfolgreichen Sportler. Geld gibt nun im Sport den Ton an und ist somit die falsche Voraussetzung fuer den fairen Kampf.
Kulturelle Veranstaltungen werden mehr und mehr dazu missbraucht verschiedener Sexualität den Mittelpunkt zu geben anstatt der Kunst.
Mit der Zeit wird das einfach langweilig, ja absolut uninteressant. Ich schaue deshalb ueberhaupt keine dieser am TV übertragenen Shows mehr an.

yuniorellibre
yuniorellibre
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

Yes, it should stay out of it, although at least here in my country everything is mixed, one could say compulsorily, by the government. Culture, sport, etc., everything.

Sí, debería mantenerse al margen aunque al menos aquí en mi país todo lo mezcla, bien se puede decir que de forma obligatoria, el gobierno. Cultura, deporte,etc., todo.

Klausius
Klausius
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Either you are 'neutral' or biased. There is just as much cheating at sports events and 'cultural events' as there is in politics, business and private life ... It's just 'human' - if you want to be neutral, however, you would have to tolerate more than a politically determined state with its preferences. So: invite.

Entweder man ist 'neutral' oder parteiisch. Bei Sportanlaessen und 'Kulturell-events' wird genau so viel gemauschelt wie in der Politik, Wirtschaft und im Privatleben ... es ist nur 'menschlich' - Wenn man sich neutral verhalten will muesste man allerdings auch mehr tolerieren als ein politisch festgelegter Staat mit seinen Praeferenzen. Also: einladen.

piero
piero
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

It's a no-brainer to keep sports and cultural events off the political agenda!

C'est une évidence que de tenir à l'écart la politique des évènements sportifs et culturels !

cesardelucasivorra@hotmail.com
cesardelucasivorra@hotmail.com
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

In principle, any cultural or sporting event in a country does not have to be politically linked, as it is logical that there should be legislation that sets out the rules for the authorisation, security and development of these events, complying with basic fundamental rules. It is true that cultural events, such as a film exhibition, can have a vindictive content on the part of their participants, such as a humanitarian crisis in Gaza or the war in Ukraine. But for this to happen, artists, organisers and staff of any kind at these events must allow freedom of expression and multiculturalism in the event without causing offence, but allowing criticism that, however hurtful it may be for individuals, states or entities, must be accepted. With regard to the Olympic Games, the background of the Munich Olympic bombings, together with the disasters of crowds and avalanches on football pitches, imply a very high level of security at competitions. Moreover, it is logical that the public, in a moment of exaltation, may have feelings of patriotism or otherwise, but without reaching the point of making xenophobic or otherwise degrading comments.
César De Lucas Ivorra, San Juan De Alicante, Spain.

En principio, todo acontecimiento cultural o deportivo en un país, no tiene que implicar vinculaciones políticas, ya que lo lógico es que exista una legislación que marque las normas para su autorización, seguridad y desarrollo de estos acontecimientos, cumpliendo una normas básicas fundamentales. Es vedad que los actos culturales, como una exposición de cine, pueden tener un contenido reivindicativo por parte de sus participantes, como una crisis humanitaria en Gaza o la Guerra de Ucrania. Pero para ello, tanto los artistas, organizadores como personal de cualquier tipo, en estos eventos debe permitir la libertad de expresión y la multiculturalidad, en el acto sin causar agravios, pero permitiendo críticas que por dolientes que sean para personas, estados o entidades deben ser aceptadas. Con respecto a los Juegos Olímpicos, los antecedentes de los atentados de la Olimpiada de Munich, junto con los desastres de las aglomeraciones y avalanchas en los campos de fútbol implican tener un nivel muy alto de seguridad en las competiciones. Además, el público es lógico que en un momento de exaltación, pueda tener sentimientos de patriotismo o de otro tipo, pero sin llegar a comentarios xenófobos o degradantes de otra índole.
César De Lucas Ivorra, San Juan De Alicante, España.

Milla
Milla
The following contribution has been automatically translated from RU.
@cesardelucasivorra@hotmail.com

I would like to point out that it does not occur to Europeans to go to Arab countries and blow things up. Europeans have something else to do. But people from Islamic countries, for some reason, want to do it. What's wrong with them? Why is it that in Palestinian maths textbooks the problem is like this: 5 Israeli soldiers were coming, you killed three. The question is: how many Israeli soldiers are left to kill?
The question is why in Gaza so much money and effort was spent on digging tunnels and not on building a university.
What is wrong with the Palestinians?

хочется заметить , что европейцам не приходит в голову ехать в арабские страны и что то взрывать. Как то европейцам есть чем заниматься. А люди из исламских стран , почему то хочется это делать. Что с ними не так? Почему в палестинских учебниках по математике задачки примерно такие : шли 5 израильских солдат ты убил троих .Вопрос : сколько израильских солдат осталось убить?
Вопрос почему в Газе так много денег и усилий было потрачено на рытье туннелей , а не на строительство университета.
Что не так с палестинцами?

Fer10
Fer10
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Yes, it is.

Si.

Fanboy
Fanboy

Patrick Woods
A benefit of the Olympics is all countries competing with each other in a sporting arena.

Alexander Somm1
Alexander Somm1
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.
@Fanboy

Not all of them.
Russians who don't live in a democracy and can't help the actions of their dictator are sanctioned, Israelis who are allowed to vote for their leaders, block or destroy aid deliveries to starving children, celebrate the eradication of universities and hospitals online with music, and athletes who make no bones about it online, which they would like to do to innocent Palestinian people, including children and babies, are allowed to play along.
The Olympics are history for me, just a farce if many of the best are unfairly excluded in this way.

Nicht alle.
Russen, die nicht in einer Demokratie wohnen, und nichts können für die Taten Ihres Diktators, werden sanktioniert, Israelis, die ihre Anführer wählen dürfen, Hilfelieferungen an hungernde Kinder blockieren oder zerstören, die Auslöschung von Universitäten und Spitälern online mit Musik feiern, und Sportler die sich keine Blösse geben online, was sie gerne mit unschuldigen Palästinensischen Menschen, auch Kinder und Babies machen würden, die dürfen mitspielen.
Die Olympiade ist für mich Geschichte, nur noch eine Farce, wenn viele der Besten auf diese Weise unfair ausgeschlossen werden.

sigi
sigi
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

No, because sport and culture are huge businesses and influence politics as such anyway. So they have to be involved, whether they want to be or not.

Nein, Denn Sport und Kultur sind riesen Geschaefte und beeinflussen Politik als solche sowieso. Also muessen sie und werden, gewollt oder nicht, einbezogen.

Anonymous
Anonymous
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

yes it should.

ja sie sollte.

benjaminfranklin
benjaminfranklin

yes. politics should be kept out of sports, no question about it. were already politicizing everything else.

Anonymous
Anonymous

A lot of sporting and cultural events are Business anyway and thus 'they' can exclude whoever they want.

I object to any of my taxes going to events that I have not been able to vote for, for starters, and my taxes going to sporting events/cultural events is just a form of communism anyway..

If countries/companies exclude (with the help of Politicians using force), example, Russian artists, sports people then we are no better than those countries really, are we? We talk about Democracy and how good it is while not setting a good example to Citizens in the countries 'we ban'....

Also, the Catholic Church supported Hitler during WWII !!!! and the Catholic Church is still operative here in Switzerland, BUT, no one is excluding them very much are they!!!

Cate Blanchett (and the likes of Sandra Bullock) are disgusting anti-male actresses who use boys foeskins in their beauty routine (one can easily use a search engine to confirm this). As an Australian, I think Cate Blanchett shows us what evil really looks like and I decided to sanction her films.

jamie5
jamie5

Russia invaded Ukraine with zero justification whatsoever. Should be banned and pressure applied to stop it's aggression.

Israel was attacked by a religious and fanatical militant organization that has professed that it wants Jews dead by all means possible. Their ferociousness in responding to such attacks is justifiable and the West should make sure Israel maintains the right to defend itself in an extremely hostile region.

In a rational world, we should all be celebrating our diversity but human greed and short-sightedness oftentimes supersede our best interests.

Anonymous
Anonymous

This is definitely a problem because we have endless politics shoved into our lives and sports was the last place for politics. Climate change. Wars. Gender wars. All these should not be involved in Sports.
Where else can we have a place of peace and sanity without discussing the differences in political ideologies?
Olympics is the biggest fraud. Russia / US are often disqualified to join.

Milla
Milla
The following contribution has been automatically translated from RU.
@Anonymous

Russia should be enclosed with a concrete fence and a moat with sulphuric acid. In the 21st century, people came to a foreign country to kill... Rape daughters in front of their mothers.
To electrocute. Starve Ukrainian prisoners of war.
This makes looting look like an innocent prank. But so many stolen washing machines and toilets - it's like a ridiculous joke

Россию надо оградить бетонным забором и рвом с серной кислотой. В 21 веке люди пришли в чужую страну убивать... Насиловать дочерей на глазах их матерей.
Пытать током. Морить голодом украинских военнопленных.
На этом фоне мародерство выглядит невинной шалостью. Но столько украденных стиральных машинок и унитазов - это как нелепая шутка

Anonymous
Anonymous
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

It doesn't bother me at all.

es stört mich gar nicht.

Rafiq Tschannen
Rafiq Tschannen

Yes. And keep things neutral. You cannot not invite Russia and at the same time invite Israel. Just ignore politics in sports totally.

Gaz11
Gaz11

It's always going to be a issue, in the world of seeking advantage and absolutely nil ethics, the single great innovation of the swiss, the magic formular and compromise as opposed a house of cards built on winks and nods and funny handshakes, so until the world embraces a few swiss values politics in sport is always going to be with us

Anonymous
Anonymous

Politics should be KEPT OUT of everything that hasn't to do with politics. It seems to poison what it touches.

Anonymous
Anonymous
@Anonymous

Agreed!!

Unfortunately politics enters a lot of arenas because Politicians use our taxes to pay for these events...

parveenbhasin76
parveenbhasin76

yes I totally agree with the politics should be kept out of sporting and cultural events if we want to save the sporting as well as cultural spirit then politics should be kept away very far. Parveen Kumar Bhasin, India

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR