Street art created by female artists to commemorate the Women's European Championship in Bern is scheduled for removal by the end of September, despite widespread public support and calls for preservation. The temporary artwork, which cost the city 45,000 Swiss francs, was painted at six different locations including sidewalks and roundabouts to enhance public spaces and increase visibility for young women and girls during the tournament.

The colorful street paintings feature giant female figures near Bierhübeli, decorated sidewalks at Viktoriaplatz where residents participated in the painting process, street art on Waldmannstrasse in Bern-Bethlehem, female soccer players on sidewalks near Lorraine Bridge, and messages about equality both on the street and soccer field beneath Kirchenfeld Bridge. Public response has been overwhelmingly positive, with one passerby noting that "the square is beautiful and lively, not so gray" and that "it brightens the mood."

The planned removal has sparked controversy due to the contrasting treatment of men's and women's soccer commemorations. Following the 2008 Men's European Championship, when Dutch fans flooded the city, then-mayor Alexander Tschäppät renamed the Kornhaus Bridge to "Korenhuisbrug" and installed an orange street sign at the bridge head that remains visible today. However, no permanent memorial is planned for the Women's Euro, which generated unprecedented enthusiasm with 25,000 fans participating in a record-breaking fan march and over 500,000 people visiting fan zones throughout the tournament.

Green Party National Councilor and Euro promoter Aline Trede has strongly criticized the city's decision, arguing that "the artworks are colorful, cheerful, from the region - exactly how we experienced the Women's Euro here." She has proposed installing a commemorative plaque on Nydeggi Bridge to honor the record-breaking fan marches, similar to the Dutch bridge memorial. Andreas Abebe, president of the North Quarter Commission, supports preserving the street art, stating that "the Women's EM was ultimately more important to us than the Men's Euro" and describing the paintings as a form of memorial culture.

City officials have left room for reconsideration, with Claudia Luder, head of the Public Space Competence Center, acknowledging they are "overwhelmed by what happened in Bern regarding women's soccer and how public space was perceived." She indicated the city remains open to dialogue about the artwork's future. Most randomly surveyed residents expressed desire for the paintings to remain, with some noting that the artwork would naturally fade over time anyway, making removal unnecessary.

The debate highlights broader questions about gender equality in public commemoration and the value of temporary versus permanent art installations. Meanwhile, Basel faces its own Euro-related art challenges, where five large soccer balls installed on the Middle Bridge during the championship have proven difficult to remove, leaving stubborn adhesive stains that are costing several thousand francs to clean, demonstrating the complex relationship between temporary public art and urban infrastructure maintenance.