Overview
- EBU members declined to hold a further vote on Israel’s participation and confirmed the 2026 contest will proceed in Vienna under updated rules.
- The reforms reduce individual televotes from 20 to 10, restore expanded juries to the semi-finals, tighten monitoring for coordinated or fraudulent voting, and restrict third‑party or government promotional campaigns.
- Ireland’s RTÉ, Spain’s RTVE, the Netherlands’ AVROTROS and Slovenia’s RTVSLO said they will not take part, with RTÉ and RTVE also stating they will not broadcast the event.
- Israel’s broadcaster KAN welcomed the decision; the BBC said it supports the collective EBU outcome, and broadcasters in Germany and Austria signalled support for Israel’s inclusion.
- The changes follow allegations of undue promotion benefiting Israel in the 2025 public vote, and other members, including Iceland and Belgium, are weighing their positions as the EBU prepares a final country list before Christmas.