RTVSLO Questions Slovenia’s Eurovision Televote Results
In a statement posted on their official website, Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO cast doubts on the integrity of their country’s televote results from the recent Eurovision Song Contest.
As part of the announcement made today, RTVSLO has requested the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to provide «exact data on how the Slovenian audience voted» during the contest. The broadcaster expressed concerns over the «total result,» citing the unexpected surge in ‘new’ online voters as particularly suspicious.
Slovenia’s demand for transparency is among several issues outlined in the statement. RTVSLO also seeks clarification on the disqualification of the Netherlands from Eurovision, the influence of sponsors on the event’s content, and the rationale behind introducing the «Rest of the World» vote.
The full statement from RTVSLO (also known as Televizija Slovenija) reads as follows:
«Following this year’s Eurovision week, Television Slovenia, which traditionally oversees the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) project, has compiled some of the most urgent questions arising from this year’s event and related occurrences.
We emphasize that the Eurovision Song Contest selection is a significant project for Televizija Slovenija and Slovenia. It is an event with significant resonance in our country and among our musicians, and RTVSLO is proud to be part of this story. Therefore, after this year’s controversial Eurovision week, Televizija Slovenija requests concrete answers to the most pressing questions from those responsible at the EBU. We also hope these questions will foster a broader discussion about the future and development of the Eurovision Song Contest, which, as noted, was unfortunately marked by many polemical discussions this year.
Televizija Slovenija is thus asking the EBU for detailed data on the voting of the Slovenian audience—not just the number of votes, but exact data on how the Slovenian audience voted. The total result raises some doubts, especially due to the large number of ‘new’ online voters who have not participated before.
Televizija Slovenija also requests more precise explanations from the EBU regarding the exclusion of the Netherlands; reports from some media suggesting that technical means were used to replace the actual sound image of what was happening in the hall; the banning of the EU flag; and the possible influence of sponsors on the content of the event.
Televizija Slovenija calls on the EBU authorities to discuss the introduction of the ‘Rest of the World’ vote. What is its significance, and why should citizens of non-participating countries influence the outcome of the contest?
Last but not least, Televizija Slovenija also calls for a reflection on ways to more effectively include the opinions of EBU members in the planning of the selection and in making key decisions, or how to establish a more democratic decision-making system.«
The Slovenian broadcaster’s statement comes after the controversial events at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. During the event, several artists and delegations voiced concerns about a tense and unsafe environment behind the scenes, and numerous countries threatened to withdraw from the contest.
While many countries have complained about backstage behavior, Slovenia is the first to question the public vote of Eurovision. The broadcaster’s assertion that «the total result raises some doubts» is striking, although no further evidence has been provided to support these claims.
Slovenia awarded its 12 points in the public vote to Croatia, with 10 points to Israel and 8 to Ukraine, the top three nations in the overall vote.
RTVSLO also demands «more precise explanations» for the disqualification of the Netherlands. Joost Klein was removed from the contest due to an incident involving a female member of the Eurovision production team. An EBU statement confirmed that the case is under investigation by Swedish police.
Furthermore, RTVSLO questions the role of Eurovision’s sponsors in the event’s content. While the statement does not name the sponsor in question, Eurovision’s current Presenting Partner is Moroccanoil, an Israeli cosmetics company based in Tel Aviv. Other sponsors listed on the Eurovision website include TikTok, Baileys, Royal Caribbean International, Idealista, and EasyJet.
Additionally, RTVSLO’s demand for the EBU to discuss the «Rest of the World» vote is notable. Introduced in 2023, this vote allows viewers from non-competing countries to influence the contest’s outcome. All votes from non-competing countries count as the vote of one country, with 12-1 points awarded to the top 10 nations.
These concerns, along with the others mentioned, are just some of the questions raised by the Slovenian broadcaster. It remains to be seen whether other broadcasters will issue similar statements or how the EBU will respond to RTVSLO’s inquiries.
