Overview
- The federal cabinet approved a Political Agreement for a German bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a formal signing set for December 4 by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, DOSB President Thomas Weikert and the heads of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
- The government also endorsed a National Vision for the Games that presents the bid as a national project and underscores political cohesion to the IOC.
- The DOSB will define the domestic selection process at its December 6 assembly and aims to choose a national candidate by autumn 2026 for a bid targeting 2036, 2040 or 2044.
- North Rhine-Westphalia scheduled citizen votes across 17 municipalities for April 19, 2026, and officials cautioned that a single major city’s rejection could derail the Rhein-Ruhr concept.
- Public consent milestones include Munich’s October vote backing a bid with 66.4% support, Hamburg’s referendum set for May 31, 2026, and no referendum planned in Berlin.