Extra pressure<\/p>\n
The\u00a0prospect of more\u00a0country\u00a0boycotts\u00a0next year over Israel\u2019s participation\u00a0piles\u00a0extra pressure on the EBU to be more\u00a0consistent and clear in how it applies its own rules.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the final week in Vienna, Eurovision officials became increasingly\u00a0terse when fielding\u00a0questions about\u00a0Israel\u00a0being allowed to\u00a0participate, and whether it reflected a double standard given that Russia was banned from the contest in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine.<\/p>\n
A top EBU official\u00a0explained\u00a0the reasoning to POLITICO<\/a>, that as long as national broadcasters follow EBU rules \u2014 like being sufficiently independent from the government \u2014 they should be\u00a0allowed to compete. The official said Israel\u2019s KAN is independent enough, while Russia\u2019s\u00a0RTR, Channel One and RDO are not.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0the reasoning\u00a0outlined\u00a0in 2022,\u00a0when Russia\u2019s public broadcaster was expelled from the EBU and\u00a0as a consequence\u00a0banned from Eurovision<\/a>. At the\u00a0time,\u00a0the EBU said that the\u00a0decision was made \u201cin light of ongoing events in Ukraine,\u201d and the fact that allowing\u00a0Russia to\u00a0participate \u201cwould bring the competition into disrepute.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a press briefing ahead of Saturday\u2019s final, Eurovision chief Martin\u00a0Green acknowledged that the contest is \u201cgoing through some challenging times,\u201d and\u00a0said organizers\u00a0conducted\u00a0a number of\u00a0\u201clistening sessions\u201d with fans this week\u00a0to hear their feedback. He said they\u00a0will spend the summer \u201creviewing everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Green also made a heartfelt appeal for viewers to \u201cenjoy the show,\u201d which is \u201cabout expressing yourself, about music, at the end of the day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a terrific,\u00a0brilliant,\u00a0wonderful,\u00a0heartfelt show, with true emotion. It is an unbelievable spectacle, and just for a moment, or\u00a0maybe four\u00a0and a half hours,\u00a0maybe close\u00a0the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n