Rome's Mayor Ignazio Marino has been ousted from office after more than half the city's Councillors stepped down ©Getty Images

Rome's bid to host the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics faces a potential political crisis after the Mayor of the Italian capital was finally forced out of office after more than half of the city’s Councillors stepped down in response to him backtracking on a pledge to resign.

Ignazio Marino, a controversial figure at the forefront of several allegations of corruption, resigned earlier this month due to an expenses scandal.

He denied any wrongdoing, yet he still offered to pay back a €20,000 (£14,000/$22,000) bill for a City Hall credit card which he had supposedly used to pay for family dinners.

Marino eventually handed in his resignation after losing the support of his own Democratic Party, but then withdrew it last Thursday (October 29).

The decision prompted the mass resignation of 26 Councillors out of a total of 48, automatically unseating Marino, and will see a temporary Commissioner running the city while new elections are organised.

The fear is that whoever replaces him will not be so supportive of Rome's campaign to host the Olympics and Paralympics, especially as the city is currently facing severe financial problems. 

Luca di Montezemolo, President of Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, has claimed
Luca di Montezemolo, President of Rome's bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, has claimed "there is a very big consensus" to stage the Games and the departure of the city's Mayor Ignazio Marino will not damage it ©Getty Images

Marino claimed he was the victim of a plot orchestrated by Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Rome 2024 President Luca di Montezemolo, however, has described Marino's departure as "a good thing" for the bid and there is no danger their campaign will suffer. 

"We have to look ahead and if this happened in two years’ time it would be a problem," he said at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly in Washington D.C..

"But now it is a good chance to clean everything, there is no problem, there is a very big consensus to have the Olympics.

"These are local political games and there is an election in the spring, so it does not change anything, we have already decided.

"For us it is very important to 100 per cent work together with the Olympic Committee, the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic, this is crucial."

A decision as to who will host the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics is due to be made at the 2017 International Olympic Committee Session in Lima.

Besides Rome, the other bidders are Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles and Paris.



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