Swiss poll finds strong opposition to 2026 Winter Games
Most Swiss oppose holding the Winter Olympics in western Switzerland in 2026, a newspaper survey has revealed. Only 36% of people taking part in the poll support the so-called Sion 2026 bid.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/sb
العربية
ar
أغلب السويسريين معارضون لاحتضان الأولمبياد في عام 2026
In an opinion poll External linkpublished in Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung newspapers on Sunday, 43% of people said they were against the Sion 2026 bid and 16% said were “quite against” the idea. Only 20% said they were in favour, while 16% said they were “quite in favour”; 5% had no opinion.
The survey showed that 55% of over-65s totally oppose the project, while 17% are “quite against” it. Among 18-34-year-olds, only 29% were in favour, while 42% were against the idea.
The majority of people (42%) were against the general idea of holding Olympic Games in Switzerland, while 18% were “quite against”. Around 21% thought it was a good idea, while 16% were “quite in favour”.
The Swiss Olympic Committee and the Swiss government are backing a joint proposal by Sion, the capital of canton Valais, to host the 2026 Winter Games spread across the cantons of Valais, Vaud, Bern and Fribourg and based largely on existing infrastructure. Last October, the Swiss government wholeheartedly endorsed the Sion bid, promising to contribute almost CHF1 billion ($1.018 billion), if it is chosen.
A final vote on the host city by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take place in summer 2019. However, in Switzerland parliament still needs to ratify the funding, and voters in canton Valais will also have a decisive say on Sion 2026 funding in a local referendum on June 10. In February 2017, voters in canton Graubünden scuppered a joint bid by Davos and St Moritz for the same 2026 games.
Switzerland hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1928 and 1948. Since then, it has submitted numerous unsuccessful bids, with Sion losing out three times: 1976, 2002 and 2006. Other cities interested in hosting the 2026 Winter Games include Graz-Schladming in Austria, Stockholm in Sweden, Calgary in Canada, and Sapporo in Japan.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss government backs Sion 2026 Olympic bid
This content was published on
The Swiss government pledged on Wednesday to throw its weight behind the Sion 2026 Winter Olympics bid, to the tune of almost CHF1 billion.
This content was published on
This time, the proposal failed with about 40% for and 60% against a CHF25 million ($25.2 million) financial contribution that would have allowed the canton to prepare a bid for the Winter Games nine years from now. The local government and the business community campaigned for the Olympic bid, saying such a major event would…
This content was published on
The champagne bubbles have only just settled after Lausanne was chosen to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, but already Swiss sports officials are looking ahead to a possible bid for the much larger Winter Games in 2026.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.