The cabinet office told MTI that hosting the Olympics was a “national cause which requires unity”.

Authors of the statement insisted that the initial unity had vanished in recent months and the Games had “become a cause for party politics out of a national cause”, and put the blame on the opposition parties “going back on their earlier decision” to support the Olympic bid.

Meanwhile, Budapest Mayor István Tarlós told MTI after a meeting with the prime minister and the head of the Hungarian Olympic Committee that the city management, in agreement with the government, has proposed that the municipal assembly should withdraw the bid.

A new political group called Momentum has mounted a campaign to collect signatures with a view to securing a referendum on whether Budapest should host the Games.

According to reports, it has collected around 266,000 signatures, twice the number necessary to trigger a plebiscite.

Both the mayor of Budapest and the chief organiser of the 2024 bid had expressed doubts to the press about the bid’s chances.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.