Swiss poll finds strong opposition to 2026 Winter Games
Former Swiss alpine ski racing champion Pirmin Zurbriggen lights a symbolic torch in support of the Sion 2026 Winter Olympics project on the summit of the Matterhorn peak on February 8, 2018
Keystone
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.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Vulnerable tenants hit hardest by Zurich evictions
This content was published on
More tenants are evicted in Zurich than anywhere else in Switzerland, which particularly affects older people on low incomes.
This content was published on
Swiss National Bank Q1 profits weighed down by foreign currency investments, which the rise in gold was unable to offset.
Men in Switzerland under pressure to uphold social standing
This content was published on
A study from the University of Bern reveals that men in relatively gender-equal countries face significant pressure to maintain their high social status.
Ivory Coast court bars former Credit Suisse CEO from presidential race
This content was published on
The court removed opposition politician and former CEO of Credit Suisse Tidjane Thiam from the electoral roll, citing the loss of his Ivorian nationality.
Novartis and Sanofi call for higher drug prices in Europe
This content was published on
Swiss and French pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Sanofi argue that the EU should adjust its drug prices to better align with those in the 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.
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.