Following AVROTROS’ statement, RTVE has become the latest broadcaster to make its official announcement regarding Eurovision 2026. Spanish broadcaster RTVE has confirmed that it will not participate in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, following a decision taken earlier at the EBU General Assembly in Geneva, where a proposal to reopen a voting regarding Israel’s participation was rejected.
As Israel has been allowed to compete at Eurovision 2026, RTVE has chosen to withdraw, marking the first time Spain will be absent from the contest since its debut in 1961.
The timeline
The broadcaster sent a letter to the EBU in May requesting that a debate be opened on Israel’s participation in the contest. In September, RTVE directly threatened to withdraw if no action was taken. The corporation’s president, José Pablo López, said on Thursday, just hours before the Assembly meeting, that the EBU and Eurovision had subjected the contest to “the greatest internal tension in its history“.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has also publicly supported Israel’s expulsion from the contest. “If no one objected when Russia’s invasion began and it was required to leave international competitions and not participate in Eurovision, then neither should Israel“, he said in May.
According to López, who promoted the withdrawal proposal before RTVE’s Board of Directors, the EBU has become an organization influenced by “political and commercial interests” that “have not been properly managed.”
RTVE’s management has also expressed opposition to the new voting regulations announced by the EBU, which include halving the maximum number of viewer votes from 20 to 10, as well as the introduction of new technical security measures aimed at preventing coordinated or fraudulent voting.
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Source: RTVE