The Eurovision Song Contest is changing its rules around promotion and voting after a number of broadcasters raised concerns about Israel’s result at this year’s competition.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael received the largest number of votes from the public in the contest in May, ultimately finishing as runner-up after the jury votes were taken into account.
Afterwards, RTÉ requested a breakdown in voting numbers from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) while Spain’s public broadcaster, Radio Television Espanola (RTVE), called for a “complete review” of the voting system to avoid “external interference”.
The maximum number of votes that can be made per payment method has now been reduced from 20 to 10 in plans outlined by director of the song contest, Martin Green.
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In an open letter published on Friday, he said: “When I wrote to you in May, I said that we would spend the summer looking at the issues raised by our participating broadcasters and fans following our 2025 contest.”
He added: “One of the clearest messages we received was the need to strengthen trust in the fairness of the contest, to ensure it remains a neutral space for the celebration of music and its power to bring us together.
“In response, we undertook the most extensive review of our voting framework in recent years, consulting widely with heads of delegation and many directors general from participating broadcasters.”
Among the changes are new rules to do with song promotion that will “help protect the contest against disproportionate, externally driven campaigns”, according to Mr Green.
He said: “While artists, broadcasters and record companies will, and should, always promote their songs as part of their professional work and engagement with fans, no broadcaster or artist may now directly engage with or support campaigns by third parties – including governments or their agencies – that could distort the vote.”
Outlining the new voting rules, he added: “We have reduced the maximum number of votes possible per payment method from 20 to 10.
“This is an important change which recognises that, although the number of votes previously allowed did not unduly influence the results of previous contests, there were concerns expressed by participating broadcasters and fans alike.
“The reduction is designed to encourage more balanced participation, and we will more actively encourage audiences who wish to use the maximum 10 votes allowed to, in the spirit of the competition, show support across several competing songs and artists.”
It was also announced that professional juries in the semi-finals would be restored for the first time since 2022, with an expansion to the range of professions from which jurors can be chosen.
Mr Green added: “In addition to widening this pool of expertise, each jury will now have seven members rather than the previous five, including at least two jurors aged 18-25, reflecting the contest’s wide appeal to new generations.”
Also mentioned were enhanced technical safeguards designed to “protect the contest from suspicious or coordinated voting activity”.
Mr Green said: “We will enforce our rules more consistently to prevent the contest from being used as a political platform or instrument of any kind. The Eurovision Song Contest belongs to all of us, and it must remain a place where music takes centre stage.”
He added: “Governments do not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, artists do. Artists backed by public service broadcasters who are not responsible for the decisions and actions of their governments.”
The 2026 singing contest will be held in Vienna after Austria’s act JJ won the 2025 event with his song, Wasted Love.
In September, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia threatened to withdraw their participation in Eurovision unless Israel is excluded from the competition over the war in Gaza.
Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but Israel has continued to compete for the past couple of years despite disputes over its participation.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated against Israel’s inclusion near a free concert in the centre of Basel when the 2025 competition took place. - PA
