Spain Withdraws from Eurovision After Contest Allows Israel

Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia also will not be present after the controversial decision of the EBU

Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland confirmed on Thursday that they will not take part in Eurovision 2026. The 95th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the Eurovision Song Contest and met in Geneva, Switzerland, voted to allow Israel to compete in the 2026 edition by approving the new measures proposed last week.

The decision also means that Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE will not broadcast the grand final, the network announced in a statement, although it will still take part in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, 13 December, the children’s version of the competition, as confirmed to El País.

The Thursday meeting was intended to debate and vote on a new package of measures announced on 21 November to address concerns raised by several member countries about the voting system. The EBU comprises 113 radio and television broadcasters from 56 countries.

Voting was conducted by member country rather than by individual broadcaster (i.e., 56 votes) and required a simple majority to pass. The new rules were approved with 738 votes in favour, 264 against and 120 abstentions.

During the session, RTVE and seven other countries formally requested a secret ballot in the Assembly. The EBU presidency denied the Spanish public broadcaster a separate vote on Israel’s participation, RTVE explained.

“This decision deepens RTVE’s mistrust of the festival’s organisation and confirms the political pressures surrounding it,” the broadcaster said in its statement.