The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games -ICMG- will hold its Electoral General Assembly on 20 August 2026 in Taranto, Italy, one day before the opening of the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games. The meeting will elect the president and Executive Committee of the organisation for the 2026-2030 term, in a session held within the ICMG Ordinary General Assembly.

The decision was taken during the Executive Committee meeting held in Athens, where the organisation reviewed progress in preparations for Taranto 2026 and the status of its main institutional priorities. The assembly will carry particular weight in the new Mediterranean cycle, as it comes during the transition opened by the death of Davide Tizzano, former ICMG president, with Mehrez Boussayene, first vice-president of the organisation and member of the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, serving as acting president.

Taranto 2026, sporting and political host of the Mediterranean movement

Taranto will not only host the Mediterranean Games, but also provide the stage where the Mediterranean movement will define its political direction for the next four years. ICMG secretary general Iakovos Filippousis presented the organisation’s activity report to the Executive Committee, with particular attention to the completion of the first implementation cycle of the new institutional framework.

That process follows the statutory amendments unanimously approved by the 2025 General Assembly, aligned with international best practices and the procedures of the Olympic Charter. Under the ICMG Charter, the General Assembly is responsible for electing the members of the Executive Committee for four years, with the body comprising a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary general, a treasurer and other members.

Governance, equality and integrity on the ICMG agenda

The electoral procedure requires an absolute majority in the first round for the election of the president, vice-presidents, secretary general and treasurer. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a second vote is held between the two leading candidates, while the remaining Executive Committee members are elected through rounds of voting with majority criteria and gender balance requirements.

The Athens meeting also focused on several strategic areas for the ICMG, including the safeguarding programme for all participants in the Mediterranean Games and the Mediterranean Beach Games, gender equality at Taranto 2026, the introduction of mixed-gender events and the environmental and marine protection campaign SPORT 4 BLUE MED SEA, developed with five Mediterranean national Olympic committees and funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The organisation also participates in an Erasmus+ anti-doping project and works with the IOC integrity unit on the prevention of competition manipulation in multi-sport events.

Taranto 2026 faces its operational test before the Electoral Assembly

The president of the Taranto 2026 Coordination Committee, Stavri Bello, presented the progress of the works and existing delays four months before the event. The Executive Committee stressed the need to intensify inspection visits to monitor construction progress and requested a detailed timeline for the completion of infrastructure, equipment delivery, the organisation of the sports programme and accommodation for delegations.

The presentation by the Taranto 2026 Organising Committee, led by its general director Carlo Molfetta, covered progress on sports venues, recruitment of specialised staff, accommodation, transport and cooperation with Italian and international sports federations. The Executive Committee also approved the medal proposal and the scenarios for the opening and closing ceremonies, before setting its next meeting in Taranto for 26 and 27 June 2026.