A clear majority of citizens in North Rhine-Westphalia and Kiel voted in favor of applying for the Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of the “Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr” project. According to North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU), the level of approval reached approximately two-thirds of the votes.
A total of about 1.4 million people cast their votes. Notably high rates of approval were recorded in Aachen (76.3 percent), Mönchengladbach (74.4 percent), and Gelsenkirchen (74.2 percent). Major cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Essen also showed a strong ‘yes’ vote. In Kiel, which is slated to host events including sailing competitions, 63.5 percent voted yes, while 36.5 percent voted no.
The “Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr” project is one of four German applicants for the Olympic Games. Other cities are advancing towards the goal: Munich has already held a successful citizen referendum, and Hamburg is scheduled for a referendum on May 31st. Berlin is not planning a citizen referendum. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will make the final decision regarding the German Olympic candidate on September 26th.
