Current RTVE President José Pablo López has given his reaction to the recent Eurovision rule changes and reaffirms boycott stance ahead of the upcoming EBU General Assembly.
🇪🇸 RTVE President states ‘the measures are not enough’ in regards to Eurovision rule changes
Recently, the EBU announced a number of changes to the voting procedures and rules for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest next May in Vienna. These included, reducing the number of votes from 20 to 10, the turn of the juries to the Semi-Finals and prohibiting the use of government backed campaigns for entries.
However, the President of RTVE, José Pablo López has openly declared his view that the measures do not go far enough. During the recent, Joint Parliamentary Control Committee of the Corporation, he stated that:
“[The measures]… are not sufficient or guarantee that government interference does not occur again.”
Following on from this, Lopez affirmed RTVE’s stance to withdraw should the EBU confirm Israel’s participation for Eurovision 2026. As well as this, RTVE will not broadcast any of the live Eurovision shows next May. It’s national selection, Benidorm Fest 2026, would continue as an independent music competition.
“We maintain the same position as a few months ago was untenable for two big reasons. First, for the genocide that has been perpetrated in Gaza. I keep thinking as President of the corporation that the Eurovision Song Contest is a contest, but human rights are not a contest. And this seems to me to take this into account. But I want to put on the table another question: Israel’s systematic breach of the rules of the contest itself.”
“It has not been sanctioned for this performance, which has occurred in at least the last two years in which I have been present at the festival. Any other country that would have carried out this use of the contest I assure you that it would be sanctioned and suspended temporarily.”
Lopez also personally challenged Martin Green CBE and Director of the Eurovision Song Contest in an open letter.
“Mr Martin Green said that television stations and artists do not represent governments, and that this is a cultural contest. And of course, I wonder: Is Mr Green suggesting the return of Russian or Belarusian broadcasters to the contest? I trust not, because we all know that if those broadcasters were to return, they would use it in a similar way to Israel, because for them the competition is much more than that and has a very important political derivative.
The EBU knows that these measures are a step forward, but they are not enough, and above all, as I have said, they leave Israel’s actions during this period unsanctioned. More measures are necessary, and that will be the proposal we will take to the next General Assembly, which will be held on the 4th and 5th.
What we were asking for 4 or 5 months ago is the same thing we are asking for again today.”
This comes following calls from a number of broadcasters to review the voting procedures of the contest. Many, including AVROTROS/NPO, NRK, RTVE, RTVSLO, RTÉ , RÚV, SMRTV, VRT and Yle have raised formal complaints with the EBU following the televote victory and second place for Israel. The EBU has since issued a formal statement and committed to a number of amendments to the voting procedures at Eurovision 2026. Members will vote on the rule changes, as well as holding a discussion on Israel’s participation at the EBU General Assembly on December 4-5.
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