The European Summer calendar of premier sporting events is well and truly underway. With the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship in Germany in full swing and the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games to commence on 26 July, security has been a central theme in event planning and management.
The predominant security focus is the threat of terrorism, according to Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Governments and event organisers seek to reassure the public amid warnings that terrorist groups might be planning to attack the events. What should be made of this perceived threat of terrorism and the counter-terrorism response ahead of the Paris Olympics?
Definitive answers on the dangers posed by clandestine actors are necessarily elusive. Nonetheless, asking a wide range of questions can help to make greater sense of the situation. In this analysis, we ask what can be learned from the past, drawing on historical evidence, to understand the present terrorist threat and the potential targeting of sporting events.
