European Games - Your Questions Answered
So, we are a week into the world's first ever European Games, and after a dazzling opening ceremony last Friday the competition's getting more and more exciting by the day. But what exactly are the games and why are they happening now?
What is the reason behind the European Games?
Europe is the last continent to have it's own continental Games. In every other continent the Games act as and immediate qualifier for the Olympics. Now the same thing will be happening in Europe, making the qualification process a lot simpler. The real reason Azerbaijan ]is hosting the Games though is that they want to put themselves on the map. ''After the European Games in Baku, people across the world will know that Azerbaijan is in Europe.'' Sports minister of Azerbaijan Azad Rahimov.
How often will the European Games happen?
The European Games are scheduled to happen every 4 years, 1 year before the Olympics.
When and where will the next European Games happen?
The next European Games were set to happen in the Netherlands. However, a few days before the Baku opening ceremony, they pulled out of hosting the competition. The European Games are supposed to be a low - spending competition, with the athletes staying in individual accomodations instead of in Athlete's Villages. Despite this, the Games are costing Azerbaijan more than 1 billion euros.
How come non-European countries such as Israel, Georgia, Armenia and even the host Azerbaijan are competing?
You may have noticed that in a lot of European competitions - the Euro football championships, the Eurovision song contest, and even the World Cup qualifiers - non-European countries such as Israel are competing.
In Israel's case this is because the Asian countries boycotted them from their Games. Israel competed in the World Cup qualifiers of Africa, Oceania, and even South America, before Europe accepted them.
In Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan's case, they are sometimes recognised as Europe, and sometimes as Asia. Geographically, they are part of Asia, but due to political and cultural reasons, many recognise them as Europe. If so, they are possible candidates for the EU, which at least 2 of them would really, really, like. They are part of the Eurovision song contest, but then so are Cyprus and Israel. And they are also part of UEFA, but then so are Turkey and Kazachstan...
What are the Human Rights debates surrounding Azerbaijan?
At the moment, Azerbaijan is virtually a dictatorship. 3 years ago, Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision song contest, and human right's activists used it as a way to get their stories out to the world, claiming that the president has thrown political opponents behind bars, and that elections in the country are neither free nor fair. This year, the Games' organisers weren't going to let the journalists spoil the show again, so they started a crackdown, putting many of the potential threats in prison.
Why have there been protests against the Games?
The European Games are being held against the backdrop of falling oil prices and the value of the national currency depreciating by a third. Some are wondering whether Azerbaijan can afford it. "When the majority of Azeris are finding it hard to make ends meet, all these lavish expenses are really irritating people," says Arastun Orujlu, the head of the Baku-based East-West research centre. The prices have gone up hugely the last couple of months, and although the government have promised they will go back down again, the people are very unsatisfied. Social media said: ''From Baku airport there is a new road, and along the road the authorities have built a wall, which is lit at night and looks rather nice. But the main objective was to hide poverty behind those walls, and to create an illusion of prosperity and development."
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