page_title: Kraków bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kraków bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Markt in Krakau
context_page_description: Kraków 2022 was a bid by the Polish Olympic Committee to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics in Kraków. On 25 May 2014, the inhabitants of Kraków voted to withdraw the bid in a binding referendum. After that Krakow discontinued the application on 26 May 2014.
context_section_description: On 6 March 2010, during a sports facility opening ceremony, Polish President Lech Kaczyński announced  that he would like his country to be a candidate for 2022 Winter Olympic Games. A month later, on 10 April 2010, he died in a tragic plane crash, which killed 96 people including him, his wife, and the President of the Polish Olympic Committee. Although most snow sport events can be held in Zakopane, some alpine ski events would have to be held in Slovakia, where higher slopes can be found.
  On 19 and 20 October 2012, Polish and Slovak NOCs with Kraków city administration had a meeting in which they agreed to submit the bid possibly in 2013 and formed an official alliance. The idea has had an initial acceptance by the Polish government. On 10 May 2013 the Sejm of the Republic of Poland in a vote gave support to the possible bid. On 29 March 2014 Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Development, said that the central government would only finance those Games-related infrastructure projects that are planned anyway, independently of the Games. The remaining costs, including sport facilities and the Olympic village, would need to be financed by local authorities.
  Kraków confirmed their joint bid with Jasná, Slovakia to host the 2022 Winter Olympics on November 7, 2013.
  Initial opinion polls commissioned by Kraków city authorities returned results in favour of holding the Games. A majority of 68% of participants in a public opinion poll held in June 2013 among Kraków's residents supported the bid, with 25% being against. However, the poll was held before any information on planned spending was made publicly available and before any objections were raised in wider public debate. Opinion polls conducted between 28 October and 2 November 2013 with a sample size of 2,000 respondents throughout Poland resulted in 81% responses in favour across Poland, 79% in Małopolska and 66% in Kraków.
  Recent opinion polls put public support for holding the Games under doubt. A poll realised by Homo Homini polling center among respondents throughout Poland on 31 March 2014 has indicated that 52% of respondents oppose the Games, 32% are in favour and 16% have no opinion. Another nationwide opinion poll realised for the Polish Radio on 28 April 2014 confirmed that the majority of Poles oppose the Games, with 58,4% against and 32% in favour of holding the Olympic Games in Kraków. A citywide poll in Krakow realised by Lovekrakow.pl news website gave 36,3% answers supporting the Games with 63,7% being against. In difference to previous polls from 2013, polls from 2014 were commissioned by news agencies without any interest in holding the Games, not by Kraków local authorities or the bid committee which both have a clear pro-Games agenda. They were ultimately confirmed by the vote in a local referendum on 25 May 2014.
  In late 2013 and early 2014 opposition against Krakow's bid for Olympic Games has gathered momentum. As of 30 March 2014, "Kraków Przeciwko Igrzyskom" ("Krakow Against Games") initiative has won support of over 17,300 Facebook users and gathered over 7900 signatures under an online petition calling for referendum over the bid. Main concerns raised by the critics are expected exorbitant costs, likely cost overruns and the resulting rise in Krakow's debt, as well as the need to build sport facilities of little use beyond the games, in contrast to limited interest of Krakow city authorities in spending public money to improve the quality of life of the population. It has been brought to attention in the national press that the overall economic benefits of holding Olympic games are doubtful, local and national public authorities are almost always laden with excessive debt in result, while the only parties actually benefitting from the Games seem to be the International Olympic Committee and national committees. Criticism voiced by opponents of the Games was partly confirmed already when the Games application has been lodged in mid-March 2014. In difference to previous estimates, the Games ap
caption: Main Square, Kraków
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