The Prime Minister of Spain, a strong message about the Eurovision boycott: “We are on the good side of history”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke of Spain's “coherent” decision to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest, citing the country's “commitment” to “human rights and international law”.
Spain, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have decided not to participate in Eurovision 2026, as a sign of protest against the presence of Israel in the competition. Thus, as a result of the five withdrawals, only 35 countries took part in the Vienna edition, the smallest number since the expansion of the format in 2004, according to AFP.
“This year, therefore, will be different. Yes, we will not be in Vienna, but we will do it with the conviction that we are on the good side of history”, said the Prime Minister of Spain in a video distributed on the X platform, quoted by News.ro.
“Spain does not participate in the Eurovision Contest because our commitment to human rights and international law is also expressed through culture,” added Pedro Sanchez.
“We cannot remain indifferent,” says Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
He claims that Eurovision, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, “was created precisely to promote peace”, but, “in the face of illegal war and genocide, silence is not an option”.
“We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in Gaza and Lebanon. It is a matter of coherence, responsibility and humanity”, added the head of the government in Madrid, also claiming that Eurovision lost this year “the support of many fans from all over Europe”.
Unlike public television in the Netherlands and Iceland, those in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia decided not to broadcast the gala. During Saturday's final, Spanish broadcaster RTVE will air “House of Music,” which it describes in an official statement as a serialized version of its special New Year's Eve music show.
