Vaidere: Sport Has Become a Geopolitical and Business Tool
MEP Inese Vaidere argues that sport can no longer be separated from politics – it is used by authoritarian regimes for propaganda and has become a multi-billion euro industry requiring stricter regulation.
In an opinion piece, MEP Inese Vaidere states that the illusion of sport being above politics no longer holds. International competitions, from the Olympics to the FIFA World Cup, increasingly serve as a stage for geopolitics. According to her, authoritarian regimes – particularly Russia and Belarus – deliberately exploit sport and culture to polish their reputations and divert attention from aggression and repression, especially amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
Vaidere cites several examples of Russia and Belarus returning to international events: the Cortina Winter Paralympics, FIBA's decision to allow their teams back in 3x3 basketball, FIFA's permission for U15 teams to participate in the World Cup, and Russia's return to the Venice Art Biennale. She notes that the European Parliament is increasingly taking a firm stance, with a majority of MEPs opposing Russia's participation in sporting and cultural events.
She recalls that in 2021, the EP called for reconsidering the decision to host the Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus, and urged the International Olympic Committee to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics under a neutral flag. This year, the EP called for halting Russia's participation in the Venice Biennale and reviewing EU funding for such initiatives.
Vaidere also addresses the commercialization of sport, which has become a multi-billion euro industry with direct economic and political impact. She highlights dynamic pricing and growing inequality in access to sporting events. The European People's Party group in the EP insists that sport should not be exempt from EU regulations, particularly competition law, internal market rules, and consumer protection. She concludes that sport governance is a matter of public interest and must be subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as any other sector with comparable influence.
