The Communications Department of RTVSLO has issued a statement regarding the broadcaster’s plans for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
RTVSLO, Slovenia’s national broadcaster, provided the statement for Eurovoix clarifying its position on participation in next year’s contest in Vienna.
The statement reads as follows:
“The final decision on participation will be made no later than the adoption of the annual plan (PPN for 2026). By that time, it should be clear whether the EBU will reach a decision regarding Israel’s participation and whether it will consider the comments of several EBU members concerning the transparency of voting. At that point, it will be decided whether RTVSLO still wishes to participate in the competition.
At the EBU General Assembly, which took place in the beginning of July in London, RTVSLO shared its position that in case Israel was to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, RTVSLO would not participate due to the genocide in Gaza. RTVSLO believes that it is not only public broadcasters—such as Israel’s KAN, which faces challenges with ruling politics in the country—that participate in Eurovision, but countries themselves. For example, Belgium and Germany do not have separate representatives for each public broadcaster (RTBF and VRT, or ZDF and ARD), but a single joint representative that represents the country as a whole. The EBU is currently in discussions with its members regarding Israel’s potential participation in the upcoming contest.”
RTVSLO is not the only broadcaster deliberating its participation in the next edition of Eurovision Song Contest. AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, is reportedly still in discussions with the EBU regarding the Netherlands’ participation in Vienna due to “geopolitical influences on the contest.”
Image source: EBU (Sarah Louise Bennett) | Source: RTVSLO
Slovenia was one of three countries to join the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993. The country qualified through a specially organised selection round called “Kvalifikacija za Millstreet” which was hosted in Slovenia, seven countries competed for three spots in Eurovision 1993. The country has participated in 22 editions of the Eurovision Song Contest. Their best result came in 1995 when Darja Švajger finished 7th scoring a total of 84 points. She is closely followed by Nuša Derenda who finished 7th in the 2001 contest with 70 points.
Double duality. Yesterday Slovenia played against Israel in EuroBasket tournament while In Eurovision she does not want to compete against Israel.