The international multi-sport event took place for ten days in Krakow and the Lesser Poland region. Thousands of athletes took part. But the spectator stands remained empty during most of the competitions.

The third edition of the European Games ended in Poland this Sunday (2 July). 7000 athletes from 49 countries took part in the international multi-sport event. For some, it was an opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. However, the event was only moderately attended.

Clearly critical was Tomasz Urynowicz from Lesser Poland Voivodeship: “Because of the Olympic Games, there are probably about 20,000 people in Krakow – on an average weekend in Krakow, there are more people here. We call these games – the games of ‘burnt money’. They cost a lot but don’t put any money in the coffers. There are so many events that turn out to be a fiasco. Besides, in sport it’s not only the result that counts, it’s the attendance, the crowds, the enthusiasm of the fans – but there are no fans, no enthusiasm. “

Nevertheless: the organisers are happy with the results, even if they concede that the timing of the event was inconvenient. Dawid Glen, spokesman for the 2023 European Games said, “We’ve been preparing for the event for the last year and a half, when there was a lot of talk in Poland about the war situation, inflation and the post-pandemic situation, but we gave it our all.”

Of course, the stands were not full every day, but they were during the finals, Glen continued.

The city of Krakow, the main organiser of the Games, says it was worth the investment despite the low level of interest from the public.

Monika Chylaszek, spokeswoman for the city of Krakow, said: “In the end, the city received 350 million Polish zlotys (equivalent to 79 million euros) for investments in infrastructure, especially for construction works and road repairs, and 150 million PLN (just under 34 million euros) for investments in sports infrastructure. The city’s contribution to the organisation is PLN 100 million (more than 22 million euros). So it’s easy to calculate that Krakow has gained 400 million (more than 90 million euros) from this event.”

The European Games in Poland ended on Sunday, but opinions about the event are divided. Most are concerned with the question: Can Poland afford to organise such events in times of financial difficulties?