Eurovision Song Contest promises to remain “apolitical”

The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest vow to remain “apolitical” after the chaotic protests in 2024, shortly before its 70th anniversary.

Following the conclusion of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2024, the event’s organisers have introduced a new director role that will begin with next year’s contest. In addition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event, has been recommended to appoint a welfare producer to “ensure the well-being of the participants”, following an independent report on this year’s contest.

“We are committed to ensuring that the Eurovision Song Contest continues to go from strength to strength and that all those involved, not least the participating broadcasters and the millions who enjoy the event, can be assured of our best intentions to maintain the success of this event which brings so much joy to millions of people around the world,” the EBU said in a statement.

The EBU announced back in May that it would appoint an independent industry expert to review this year’s competition following several notable controversies, including Dutch competitor Joost Klein being disqualified from the competition on the morning of the grand final for allegedly threatening a female crew member and Israeli competitor Eden Golan being allegedly bullied by other competitors.

To prepare the report, industry expert Pernille Gaardbo spoke to over 50 people, including Eurovision stakeholders such as each country’s Head of Delegation. Gaardbo also spoke to members of the contest’s Administrative Board and the EBU/ESC core team to assess what could be done differently next year, when the song contest turns 69.

The new ESC Director, who has not yet been appointed, will report to EBU Deputy Director General and Media Director Jean Philip De Tender and will oversee the show’s Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl. In addition, the new director will fill another new position, that of Head of ESC Brand and Promotion, which has also not yet been appointed.

A task force made up of high-ranking politicians from across the EBU will now examine further recommendations in the report. These include the possible restriction of backstage access and the establishment of a dedicated crisis management team.

“The EBU is a non-political organisation or an association of public broadcasters in Europe,” said De Tender in an interview with diversity“So we’re hosting a non-political event. But as the event has grown so large, you can clearly see that geopolitical tensions can impact the event, that they can impact the artists.”

“We welcome freedom of expression,” explains De Tender. “We saw demonstrations in Malmö (against Israel’s participation in the contest in light of the conflict with Palestine). As a public service medium, it is very important that people can express their opinions and views. But the Eurovision Song Contest is apolitical and must remain apolitical.”

“We need to review the rules and think about how we can potentially find new ways to mitigate the impact of these external events,” adds De Tender. “The Olympic Games, which start in a few weeks, will be subject to exactly the same guidelines as the Eurovision Song Contest.”

The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest was watched by 160 million people across 37 public media markets. Next year’s contest will be held in Switzerland – the third time Switzerland has hosted the event – after the country won the 2024 contest with the song “The Code” by Nemo.