Overview
- The UER assembly in Geneva approved rule changes by 738 votes to 264 with 120 abstentions, which removed the need for a separate vote on Israel’s participation in 2026.
- RTVE confirmed Spain will not compete or broadcast Eurovision 2026, marking its first absence since debuting in 1961 despite its status as a Big Five contributor.
- Public broadcasters in the Netherlands (Avrotros), Ireland (RTÉ) and Slovenia (RTVSLO) also announced withdrawals, while Iceland and Belgium said decisions will follow in the coming days.
- Reforms include cutting the paid televote cap from 20 to 10, restoring professional juries in semifinals, expanding anti-fraud detection and increasing national jurors from five to seven.
- Israeli leaders welcomed the decision as Germany’s ARD, the BBC and Austria’s ORF backed the UER stance, whereas Spain’s government figures praised RTVE’s exit and France’s foreign minister rejected a boycott.