Eurovision 2026 crisis: 4 countries declare boycott

A big political disagreement arose around the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. According to Reuters, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia have decided to boycott the competition due to Israel's participation in the competition.

This issue was one of the most pressing at the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva. These countries demanded a separate secret ballot for Israel's participation and stated they would not participate in the selection if allowed.

However, the situation became even more complicated: Germany, one of the main sponsors of the competition, on the contrary, announced that it would not participate in Eurovision if Israel were banned from participating. This further exacerbated contradictory positions among European countries.

Due to the disagreement, the EBU refused to vote on the Israeli issue and thus postponed the decision.

Nigina Zarqarayeva

Editor of «ZAMIN.UZ»