Eurovision revises voting rules to curb government influence

The Eurovision Song Contest is about to change its voting rules yet again, in what it calls “a major overhaul of Eurovision Song Contest voting framework”.

The changes follow “an extensive consultation exercise with EBU Members following the 2025 Contest”, according to the EBU.

Since 2023, Eurovision semi-finals have been decided solely by public televote, while in the final, each jury and the televote award an independent set of points. As part of the key changes, the professional jury will re-enter the semi-final voting for the first time since 2022, with the voting now split roughly 50/50 between jury and audience.

The number of jurors will increase from 5 to 7 and will include at least two jurors aged 18 - 25.

On top of that, Eurovision is tightening the rules around promotion. While it supports appropriate promotion of artists, it will “discourage disproportionate promotion campaigns…particularly when undertaken or supported by third parties, including governments or governmental agencies.” Participants will also be banned from engaging in promotional campaigns by third parties, with any attempts punished with sanctions.

Finally, the maximum number of votes per payment method (online, SMS, and phone call) will be reduced from 20 to 10.

On top of that, the EBU will work on improving its security systems to prevent fraud and strengthen monitoring of suspicious patterns.

“The neutrality and integrity of the Eurovision Song Contest is of paramount importance to the EBU, its Members, and all our audiences. It is essential that the fairness of the Contest is always protected,” said Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Alongside the changes we are announcing today, we will also strengthen enforcement of our existing rules to prevent any misuse of the Contest for example through song lyrics or staging. And we will work closely with Members to ensure they fully understand and are also accountable for upholding the rules and values that define the Song Contest.”

Israel and the surrounding controversy

As some sources point out, the changes are also tied to the controversy surrounding the result achieved by Israel this year.

Although the EBU didn’t mention Israel in its announcement, a number of broadcasters raised concerns about the final points achieved by Israel, with the country topping the public vote, especially amid reports that the Israeli government ran a wide campaign to secure public votes for its contestant. In this year’s competition, Israel was represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 2023 attacks.

There is a wider backlash surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision. Some countries, such as Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands, are threatening to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel isn’t banned.

In response, Green said, “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest, and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

In turn, some other countries have previously expressed their support for Israel’s participation, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying he would support not taking part in the contest if Israel is banned.

The EBU planned an unprecedented general meeting where countries would vote on Israel’s participation, which was later cancelled amid the ceasefire in Gaza in October. Israel’s participation is expected to be discussed during the broadcasting union’s regular December meeting, although the details are unclear.

The EBU says that after the General Assembly, it will be working with members to confirm participation in next year’s contest, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday 12th, Thursday 14th, and Saturday 16th May 2026. The full list of participants is expected to be revealed before Christmas.