After reports of a referendum on public funding for hosting Eurovision in Basel, a conservative party in Switzerland has started collecting signatures. Is Eurovision in Basel in danger?
In July, it was reported that the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU/UDF) announced it would demand referendums against funding Eurovision 2025 by municipalities or cantons comprising local government in Switzerland. Now, after Basel was officially declared the host city, the party has begun preparing for a referendum and is in the process of collecting signatures to force a referendum in Basel.
Requirements for the Referendum
To compel Basel to hold a referendum, the Federal Democratic Union party must gather 2,000 signatures by the end of October. They claim there are increasing cases of antisemitism, therefore, they want to prevent the use of public funds to finance the competition. About a week ago, Basel approved the budget for the upcoming Eurovision, amounting to about 40 million euros, which they are apparently trying to stop.
As known, Switzerland’s system of government is unique and different from any other country, and referendums in Switzerland have an important and unique value. Citizens participate directly in the legislative process through referendums. Additionally, citizens can demand a referendum to repeal a law or propose a new law by signing a petition. If 2,000 signatures are obtained, the referendum is expected to be held as early as November 24.
Public Sentiment on Eurovision Hosting
According to the report, a survey of 25,000 participants in Switzerland found that 49% of respondents fully or partially oppose hosting the competition, so it seems that support for hosting the upcoming Eurovision in Switzerland is divided and even faces opposition from both citizens and some parties in the country.
Potential Consequences of the Referendum
This means that if the referendum takes place and its results force the Basel municipality to prevent the planned funding for Eurovision, the Eurovision in Basel will not be able to take place as planned, and the European Broadcasting Union will have to quickly search for another location for the planned competition.
Source: bluewin.ch
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15, and 17, 2025. The St. Jakobshalle arena, which will host the competition, is expected to accommodate about 12,000 spectators for each show. The contest will take place in Switzerland following the country’s third historical win with the song “The Code”, performed by singer Nemo. This will be the third time the competition has been hosted in Switzerland, after the contest was held there in 1956 and 1989..
