The EOC wants to take the European Games to the west of the continent in 2027 ©Getty Images

Newly-elected European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Spyros Capralos is hopeful a Western nation will come forward to host the 2027 European Games.

While the Games has attracted bids and interest from Western European countries such as The Netherlands and Britain, the first three editions will have been held in either Central or Eastern Europe.

The inaugural Games were staged in Baku in Azerbaijan in 2015.

Minsk hosted the 2019 European Games - first awarded to The Netherlands and then to Russia, before the EOC announced it would take place in the Belarusian capital - and Kraków-Małopolska in Poland is due to hold the fledgling multi-sport event in 2023.

The build-up to the first edition was dominated by human rights concerns in Azerbaijan, a trend which continued prior to the 2019 Games in Minsk.

Poland has been criticised for its LGBTQ stance, with Małopolska among the areas of the country to have declared itself free of "LGBT ideology".

Kraków-Małopolska is due to stage the 2023 European Games ©Getty Images
Kraków-Małopolska is due to stage the 2023 European Games ©Getty Images

Małopolska is one of 100 areas in Poland to have made the controversial declaration, leading to condemnation from the European Parliament.

A report this year claimed the status of LGBTQ rights in Poland is the worst among European Union countries.

"We started with Baku, many people thought the Games would not be successful but they were successful, then there were questions about Minsk, and they also organised an exceptional Games," said Capralos.

"There is always criticism about any organiser - we haven’t had any that have not been criticised.

"The Polish have committed themselves and will deliver a good Games.

"I am very confident that the European Games will be successful, some of the events will be Olympic qualifiers, some will act as the European Championships.

"After Poland it is going to be easier to get a new organiser and hopefully we will be moving to the west."

The EOC this week signed an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) aimed at working towards an exclusive deal for the 2023 and 2027 European Games.

Capralos said the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Eurovision Sport -  the sports arm of the EBU consortium of public service broadcasters - "is a major step towards making the European Games better known" around the continent.