The Belgian broadcaster VRT has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ensure full transparency regarding the rules and voting system of the Eurovision Song Contest. Yasmine Van der Borght, the broadcaster’s spokesperson, emphasized the need for an open debate with all participating countries, underscoring their genuine concern for the contest’s integrity.
In a notable move, the VRT interrupted its broadcast during Israel’s performance in the final, replicating an action taken in 2024. The screen displayed a black background with a message highlighting human rights violations in Gaza and media silence, while calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE took to its official social media account on platform X shortly before the final began, posting a message in both English and Spanish. Against a black background, it read: “When it comes to human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.” TVI, another broadcaster, echoed this message just prior to the Eurovision Song Contest’s commencement in Basel, Switzerland, which featured Israel among its competitors.
The VRT acknowledged its successful collaboration with the EBU in various areas, yet warned, “Without a serious response to our concerns about Eurovision, we question our future participation.” The Flemish public broadcaster expressed disappointment over the lack of willingness for a meaningful discussion about Eurovision in recent months.
The VRT remarked, “We find that Eurovision, as currently organized, is increasingly less of a unifying and apolitical event. It contradicts the original values of the contest and public broadcasting service values.” Amidst these developments, the Flemish Socialist Party Vooruit has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the public televoting system, which awarded maximum points to Israel in Belgium despite no points from the professional jury.
Katia Segers, a social-democratic deputy, commented, “A system where one person can vote up to 20 times fosters manipulation. It is necessary to determine if such manipulation occurred in our country and other participating or non-participating countries. The VRT should lead the way in requesting this investigation and open the debate about the televoting system within the EBU and Israel’s participation.”
Spanish public television sources have indicated that RTVE plans to request an audit of the televoting results in the country’s Eurovision edition this year. Furthermore, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has advocated for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest and other international competitions, paralleling actions taken against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sánchez stated, “We cannot allow double standards,” during a speech in Madrid, noting that there was no significant backlash when Russia was excluded from international sports competitions and initiatives like Eurovision. This controversy follows after Israel secured the second position in the contest amid tensions stemming from the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s performance received only 60 points from the professional jury, placing them in fifteenth, but garnered 297 points from the public vote, accounting for 50% of the final result. Conversely, Austria received 258 points from the jury and an additional 178 points from the public.
