Euro 2012: pride and readiness
For many, the first reaction was shock. Pride and exuberance quickly followed and, for the moment, have bouyed the nations' spirits.
The two nations have around five years to knuckle down to work, improve their meager transport infrastructures, erect modern sport facilities and generally gussy themselves up in preparation for the international attention the competition will draw. Exuberance is likely to fade in the meantime, and quickly. Pride, on the other hand, could be the undertaking's great enabler.
While an inept mixture of politics and nationalism has lent credence to the international media's oafish, dour caricature of the current government, sport is the perfect vehicle by which national pride can make a positive contribution to Poland's world standing and its economy. For one thing, Euro 2012 may see some of Poland's wayward laborers lured home by the combination of EU development funds and the prestige of literally having a hand in building the new stadiums.
Moreover, the prestige associated with having been chosen over Italy, Hungary and Croatia offers both Poland and Ukraine a chance to bask in the spotlight, but also makes the price of failure that much dearer. Poland's prickly brand of self-esteem could, therefore, lead the national government to finally treat the sport with some respect and recognize it as a potential resource to be developed. In Ukraine, the immediacy of winning the competition may bolster calls for a swift resolution to the current political crisis, though Euro 2012's pro-Western bias is likely to raise hackles among those who look to the Kremlin for direction.
Pride, in short, may be the key to Poland's readiness to host the competition, while political prejudices have the potential to scupper the event. In five years' time, however, if the two countries are prepared and successfully discharge their duties, the immediate response of both domestic and international observers may echo back to last Wednesday's initial reaction: shock - and elation.
