RTVE will not return to Eurovision 2027 due to Israel's participation

RTVE had maintained a deathly silence over the past few weeks regarding its participation in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. Other countries — such as Ireland — had already announced they would not take part in the upcoming edition due to Israel's participation, or —like Belgium— had requested an extension to decide whether or not to participate. Yet, the public broadcaster remained silent.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the RTVE Corporation, José Pablo López Sánchez, appears before the Joint Committee for Parliamentary Oversight of the RTVE Corporation and its subsidiaries, at the Senate

In fact, this attitude had fueled rumors on social media about a potential return. RTVE President José Pablo López put a definitive end to these rumors this Tuesday during the Joint Committee for Parliamentary Oversight of the RTVE Corporation and its subsidiaries.

The executive has announced that he will propose to the Board of Directors that RTVE maintain the suspension of its participation in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. The event is set to take place next May in Burgas — a city with strong ties to Israel, given that it served as the departure point for over 15,000 Jews bound for the «Promised Land» and that Tel Aviv is the most popular destination served by its airport.

As this outlet has learned in an exclusive report, this council meeting will take place in Santander in the middle of next month. The council comprises five members proposed by the PSOE, two by Sumar, one by ERC, one by Podemos, and one by the PNV—all of whom voted in favor of the boycott at the time—along with four from the Partido Popular, who opposed it, and one from Junts, who abstained.

López noted that RTVE’s position has always been clear and that they have not shied away from the issue. “On the contrary, throughout this year, we have actively led—alongside other public broadcasters—a call for ethical renewal within the EBU organization itself,” he said.

In this way, the sponsorship of Eurovision by Moroccanoil—an Israeli cosmetics company—has been brought to an end; countries involved in conflict or considered geopolitically sensitive have been barred from hosting the festival should they win; and changes have been introduced to the voting system to prevent the festival from being exploited for political purposes.

However, these changes have been insufficient. Consequently, although the Corporation acknowledges technical progress in the organization of the festival, not “all objectives” have been met, and there remains a clear unresolved issue on the ethical front, given that Israel will continue to participate in Eurovision.

According to information obtained by this outlet, 90% of these objectives have reportedly been achieved, yet one of the most important remains unmet: the dismissal of Eurovision Director Martin Green. He has been a staunch defender of the genocidal state's participation in the contest and, last December, prevented a vote within the EBU Assembly that would have allowed member countries to decide whether to expel the nation from the festival.

However, Green's position will now report directly to the EBU Eurovision Reference Group—chaired by Spain's Ana María Bordas, RTVE's Director of Content Production—meaning his room for maneuver will be significantly more limited.

With these changes, public broadcasters opposed to Israel's participation in the festival sought to gain more power within the EBU by installing a new director more aligned with their views, thereby forcing Israel's expulsion or—at the very least—prompting it to withdraw voluntarily.

As a sign of their willingness to negotiate these changes, Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland all confirmed their participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest—to be held in Malta in October—before the summer. Had these three countries not participated, the contest could have been dealt a fatal blow, given that only thirteen countries were competing.

Victoria para España: RTVE no volverá a Eurovisión en 2027 por la participación de Israel