On Tuesday, september 16, the Board of Directors of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE voted to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete next year.
The proposal, introduced by RTVE president José Pablo López, was approved by the broadcaster’s governing body, with a clear majority of 10 votes in favor, 4 against, and 1 abstention.
Despite the decision, preparations for Benidorm Fest are still ongoing. Spain’s national final has been selecting the country’s entries for the past four years and will once again take place in Benidorm, with the semi-finals scheduled for february 10 and 12, and the grand final set for february 14.
Last week, Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, expressed his concern on the matter during an interview on La hora de La 1, where he criticized the Israeli government and argued that Spain should withdraw.
By taking this step, RTVE becomes the first member of the Big Five to clearly state that it is ready to boycott the contest. Spain now follows in the footsteps of RTVSLO (Slovenia), RTÉ (Ireland), and the Netherlands’ AVROTROS in taking a firm stand. Meanwhile, Iceland’s RÚV and Belgium’s RTBF will wait until December to decide on participation, while continuing preparations to select their artists.
