A lid opening mechanism for opening a lid element which is arranged on a console or on a compartment on a first longitudinal side about a first lid pivot axis or optionally on a second longitudinal side about a second lid pivot axis, wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are each formed from a front pivot-axis element (21 a, 22a) and a rear pivot-axis element (21 b, 22b), which are each movable between a retracted position and an extended position such that the first pivot axis or the second pivot axis can operate as the pivot axis for opening the lid on the opposite first or second longitudinal side (12, 11) in each case, wherein the lid actuating mechanism comprises: hinge strips (30a, 30b), each of which is mounted rotatably in the region of a first longitudinal side by means of a respective hingestrip axis (51 a, 51 b) at those ends (31 a, 31 b) of the respective hinge strip (30a, 30b) which, in the region of the first longitudinal side, is arranged on impact sides (6a, 6b) of the lid element, which impact sides (6a, 6b) run transversely with respect to the longitudinal sides (11, 12), wherein each of which hinge-strip axes (51 a, 51 b) is mountable on the console or the compartment, and each of which hinge strips (30a, 30b) comprises mounting devices (63a, 63b) for receiving the first pivot-axis elements (21a, 21 b) in order to be able to pivot up the lid element on the second longitudinal side when the first pivot-axis elements (21a, 21b) are retracted into the mounting devices (63a, 63b) of the hinge strips (30a, 30b) and the second pivot-axis elements (22a, 22b), in a retracted position, are moved back out of the mounting devices (66a, 66b) and partially reach into mounting devices (62a, 62b) of the hinge strips, wherein the second pivot-axis elements (22a, 22b) on the second longitudinal side, in an extended position, extend through the mounting devices (62a, 62b) of the hinge strips (30a, 30b) in order to reach into mounting devices (66a, 66b) in the console or in the compartment in order to form a pivot joint between the lid element and the hinge strips (30a, 30b) in the region of the second longitudinal side when, at the same time, the pivot-axis elements (21a, 21 b) of the first pivot axis are moved out of the mounting devices (63a, 63b) of the hinge strips (30a, 30b), so that the lid element can be pivoted up on the first longitudinal side, wherein a first actuating device comprising a first actuating element and a first actuating rod which runs transversely with respect to the pivot-axes (21, 22), and a second actuating device comprising a second actuating element and a second actuating rod which runs transversely with respect to the pivot-axes (21, 22) are provided, and a control element is provided which is arranged between the actuating rods (161, 162) and which comprises control surfaces facing the actuating rods (161, 162), wherein, when the control surfaces are moved by the actuating rods (161, 162), by means of the control surfaces the control element is shifted relative to the respective other actuating rod (162, 161) to a position in which this respective other actuating rod (162, 161) is not able to move the control element, wherein the first actuating rod is mechanically coupled to the front pivot-axis element (21 a) and the rear pivot-axis element (21 b) of the first pivot axis, and the second actuating rod is mechanically coupled to the front pivot-axis element and the rear pivot-axis element of the second pivot axis and realized such that by actuation of the first actuating element the front pivot-axis element and the rear pivot-axis element (21 b) of the first lid-pivot axis are moved out from the mounting devices (63a, 63b) of the hinge strips (30a, 30b) on the first longitudinal side, and such that by actuation of the second actuating element respective ends of the front pivot-axis element and the rear pivot-axis element of the second lid-pivot axis are retracted into the mounting devices (62a, 62b) of the hinge strips (30a, 30b), so that the respective ends of the front pivot-axis element and the rear pivot-axis element are moved out of the mounting devices (66a, 66b) of the console or the compartment.