Eurovision voting rules altered after Israel controversy

VIENNA

The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest said on Nov. 22 they were revising voting rules to strengthen “trust and transparency,” following years of controversy over unusually high public backing for Israeli contestants.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said the changes will take effect ahead of next May’s edition in Vienna. Under the new system, viewers will be able to cast only 10 votes per payment method instead of 20. The body will also set stricter limits on promotion to curb outside influence, including government-backed campaigns, and expand measures to detect and block coordinated or fraudulent voting.

The announcement came as several broadcasters, including those in Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, have warned they may withdraw from the 2026 contest if Israel is allowed to compete again. Others have raised similar concerns over the situation in Gaza. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS accused Israel of a “serious violation of press freedom” in Gaza and of “proven interference” in the last contest, when lobbying abroad helped secure second place.

“We’ve listened and we’ve acted,” Eurovision director Martin Green said. “The Contest should remain a neutral space and must not be instrumentalized.”

Eurovision acts receive two sets of points of equal weight — one from national juries and one from public votes cast by phone, text or online. The revised rules follow two editions in which Israel’s entries rose sharply in the rankings due to heavy public support. Eden Golan placed fifth in Malmo in 2024, while Yuval Raphael finished second this year in Basel.

EBU members had been expected to vote this month on whether Israel should be permitted to participate in 2025. But with a fragile truce in Gaza, the decision will instead be discussed at the broadcaster union’s general assembly in December. Members will first examine whether the new measures make such a vote unnecessary.

“Only if they consider them insufficient will there be a vote,” EBU spokesman Dave Goodman said, adding that the list of next year’s participating broadcasters will be announced before Christmas.

If Israel is excluded, it would not be the first time. Russia was barred in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, while Belarus was excluded the previous year following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Politics is officially banned at Eurovision, but participants are often accused of trying to add political messages through lyrics or staging. The EBU said it will also tighten rules to prevent such attempts.