Public broadcasters in Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia have withdrawn from the Eurovision Song Contest after organizers confirmed Israel will be allowed to compete. More countries are said to be weighing similar decisions.
The walkouts follow a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which consists broadcasters from 56 countries. According to NPR, the EBU agreed to tighten voting rules amid growing political tension but declined to bar Israel from the 2025 competition.
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A contest meant to be apolitical — but isn’t
Eurovision draws more than 100 million viewers and is traditionally marketed as a celebration of music over politics. In practice, it often becomes the opposite.
In 2022, Russia was expelled from the competition over its Ukraine invasion. More recently, the past two competitions have been marred by the war in Gaza, with protests outside the competitions in Switzerland and Sweden.
Organizers were forced to clamp down on political flag-waving during the competition. Now, experts say the next competition will feature even bigger political statements.
“It’s a historic moment for the European Broadcasting Union. This is certainly one of the most serious crises that the organization has ever faced,” Eurovision expert Dean Vuletic told NPR. “Next year, we’re going to see the biggest political boycott of Eurovision ever.”
Vuletic said he expects tense weeks and months ahead as other countries reconsider their participation in the annual event.
Why countries are withdrawing
All four broadcasters cited Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
- AVROTROS, a Dutch broadcaster, said Israel’s participation “is no longer compatible with the responsibility we bear as a public broadcaster.”
- Spain’s broadcaster, RTVE, said despite the recent ceasefire in Gaza, “Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.”
- Irish broadcaster RTÉ said Ireland’s participation “remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”
- Slovenia’s broadcaster expressed similar concerns.
According to NPR, losing participants such as Ireland and Spain could significantly impact the competition. Spain is one of the “Big Five” large-market countries that contribute the most to the contest. Meanwhile, Ireland has won the competition seven times.
