StefanMUC

Dieter Reiter, Munich‘s mayor, has a tough local election to fight next year. He wouldn‘t touch an Olympic bid with a bargepole now.

When 2004 bidding happened in the mid-90s, Russia was in deep economic and social troubles with a weak President. Now, Putin tries to portray his country as a superpower again, so the context is different. OTOH, the post-Putin era 2030 and beyond might be very unstable again. Signs are already on the walls.

As long as the unofficial war goes on, it’s obviously not happening. Overall, Kyiv certainly would have more potential than Budapest, not the least given Ukraine’s size.

Uh! Don’t call Cologne (Düsseldorf, Essen, Aachen, Bonn) (west) Westphalia - it’s like calling Chicago New England

Anyone who watched her live (and not the manipulated YT afterwards) at Eurovision knows it’s time for her to retire.

Slovenia is hosting regular World Cup/Champs in all skiing disciplines, and Ljubljana has at least one indoor arena. Maribor could have another one and if Italy was involved anyway, there’d also be Trieste. It’s all hypothetical though...

Well, for the ski jumping and downhill (because Croatia doesn’t have a downhill course AFAIK), they could team up with Slovenia - and use the nearest soon fully renovated bob track in Cortina

Maybe it’s time to point out that Budapest is a city of 2 million in a country of 10 million which does not do great economically but heavily relies on EU funding, though its fascist leader pretends to despise the EU? There is a reason even Orbán shied away from pursuing 2024 as it became clear the public would turn against him.

Stockholm’s bid was far from perfect, but Milan’s not really rock solid either, especially in view of Italian govt hazardous policies. If the IOC rather gives the benefit of doubt to Italy and shuns the Swedes even now, I wouldn’t come back in their place.

Nor the wonderful thought of going to bed with morally and soon also financially bankrupt Italy under the new Duce.

Stockholm very narrowly

First time Seehofer makes sense really.

Didn't someone from the IOC (JAS jr.?) already say Calgary could host "for free"? Well, we all know how that one ended. I do agree though that the IOC could be well-advised to go for a "targeted" approach and talk to cities and see what's possible and what's not instead of just waiting which crazy-money spending dictatorship is willing to offer itself. Though of course that would be a radical change of mind (and probably loss of money) for the folks in Lausanne.

I doubt they will just do it like it was before. Read today that in Cologne, the original wooden roof was replaced by an iron construction when the Cathedral was finally finished in the 19th century, which helped it to avoid even more destruction in WW2. So there’s surely aesthetically good solutions which are fire-proof available.

Apart from of the less serious parts of your post, Macron has heard you: He wants to have everything rebuilt within five years.