RTVE hits back: Spain accuses Austria of “politicising Eurovision” as Israel crisis deepens
The diplomatic storm surrounding Eurovision 2026 just levelled up, and this time Spain is firing directly at the host broadcaster. José Pablo López, president of RTVE, has publicly denied that Austria’s ORF has reached out to calm tensions over Israel’s potential participation — and has gone as far as accusing the hosts of “politicising the contest”.
This all comes after ORF Director-General Roland Weißmann used a press conference in Vienna to preach the virtues of “diplomacy” ahead of the crucial EBU General Assembly in early December. That meeting will determine whether Israel’s broadcaster KAN remains in the competition amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Weißmann insisted broadcasters must “talk, listen and convince”, hinting that new rules will be voted on at the gathering — rules he refused to outline, which in Eurovision-speak means they’re probably as delicate as a pyrotechnic malfunction in the second verse.
What he did emphasise, loudly, is Austria’s position: Israel should be in Vienna 2026.
Spain’s reply? A blunt, public reality check.
“Nobody has called us,” José Pablo López wrote, cutting straight through Austria’s narrative. And just in case the message wasn’t sharp enough, he added: “The ORF president met with the President of Israel — that’s the politicisation right there.”
It’s no secret that Weißmann travelled to Jerusalem earlier this month to meet Isaac Herzog and senior figures at KAN. Spain sees that as incompatible with the EBU’s long-standing defence: that Eurovision is a contest between public broadcasters, not nations.
López sharpened the contradiction even more:
“Wasn’t this a contest where countries don’t participate, only broadcasters? That’s what the EBU always said.”
His closing words, “sin complejos”, leave little ambiguity: RTVE will not tone down its stance — and maintains its threat to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 should Israel remain on the line-up.
Spain is not alone. Public broadcasters from Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have taken similarly tough positions, arguing that allowing Israel to compete during the Gaza conflict is incompatible with the values the EBU claims to uphold.
Austria, meanwhile — backed by Germany — is becoming the leading defender of Israel’s presence in the contest, pushing the EBU to resist the mounting boycott threats.
The showdown reaches its decisive moment in early December, when the EBU is expected to resolve the matter — formally or informally — behind closed doors. What happens there will determine whether Vienna 2026 becomes a celebration of Eurovision’s 70th anniversary… or a year remembered for something far more dramatic.
For now, the only certainty is that Vienna is preparing a spectacular show while the political temperature rises faster than a modulated key change. If Eurovision thrives on chaos, 2026 may be one of its finest performances yet.
Source: VerTele
