The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has reportedly told Spanish broadcaster RTVE it will be fined if its commentators mention the Gaza conflict again.
During Thursday’s second semi-final of Eurovision 2025, RTVE’s commentators Julia Varela and Tony Aguilar spoke about the broadcaster’s request to the EBU to discuss Israel’s participation. They also discussed the civilian victims of the Gaza conflict during Yuval Raphael’s postcard.
According to El Pais, the Israeli broadcaster KAN filed an official complaint with the EBU about Varela and Aguilar’s comments. And, hours later, El Pais reports that they have seen a letter sent by the EBU to Ana María Bordás, the Head of the Spanish Delegation and President of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group from after this contest onwards.
In the letter, the EBU has stated to RTVE “that all commentators must comply with the festival rules and the commentator’s manual.” The letter was signed by the current Reference Group president Bakel Walden and Eurovision’s Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl. It reportedly further reads:
These guidelines…prohibit political statements that could compromise the neutrality of the competition. Victim figures have no place in an apolitical entertainment program whose motto, United by Music, embodies our commitment to unity.
Furthermore, the EBU letter reportedly stated that if RTVE’s commentators mentioned the Gaza conflict again during tonight’s Grand Final, the EBU would consider fining the Spanish broadcaster:
It is essential that your commentators comply with these rules without exception…to preserve the apolitical nature of Eurovision and comply with the ethics and standards set out in the rules. We expect RTVE’s full cooperation to prevent a repeat of this. Any subsequent breach may lead to punitive fines under the rules.
RTVE has since confirmed to El Pais that Varela and Aguilar read their message “in coordination with the network”. Not only that, the broadcaster plans to make a gesture regarding the conflict “from the beginning of the broadcast.”
Sources within RTVE cited by the newspaper say that the broadcaster is surprised at the EBU’s response. They reportedly feel that “calling for respect for human rights and for peace and justice, in a comment that made it clear it was not directed at any specific country” was not enough to cause a conflict with the EBU.
Spain’s broadcaster has previously called for the EBU to hold discussions around Israel’s involvement in Eurovision. Slovenia, Iceland and Ireland are other countries whose broadcasters have questioned Israel’s participation in the lead-up to this year’s contest in Basel.
Israel’s participation in Eurovision has been a controversial topic since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023. Many artists and musicians in Europe have called for Israel to be excluded from the competition because of their involvement in military action.
This year, over 70 Eurovision-affiliated artists, including former winners, signed an open letter calling for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to bar Israel from participating. In addition, Eurovision 2024 winner Nemo has questioned whether Israel’s participation is “at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold”.
Last week, it was reported that the European Broadcasting Union has committed to a ‘wider discussion’ regarding Israel’s participation in the contest following this year’s edition.
Image Source: EBU / Sarah Louise Bennett | Source: El Pais
Spain debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 and has competed annually since, making them the longest participating country that has never withdrawn. Spain has won the contest on two occasions; the first being in 1968 and the second time in 1969. 1969 is the only year where more than one song has won the contest. The 1969 contest saw a four-way tie between Spain, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
