The threat has been removed: The results of the referendum in Basel on approving the Eurovision budget indicate that residents want to host Eurovision and fund the event with public money.
Today, a referendum was held in Basel on the question of the Eurovision budget. After two weeks of postal voting, the initial sample shows that Basel residents are interested in hosting Eurovision, with about two-thirds voting in favor of funding the event and only one-third voting against. The referendum was initiated after the Swiss Federal Democratic Union party (EDU/UDF) unexpectedly managed to gather enough signatures for it to take place.
In Switzerland, citizens participate directly in the legislative process, enabling a party to call for a referendum if sufficient public support is demonstrated. As early as July, the EDU/UDF, in collaboration with the Federation of German Taxpayers, demanded a referendum against funding Eurovision 2025 through municipal or cantonal budgets in Switzerland.
The EDU/UDF, known as a conservative Christian party, opposes Eurovision events, perceiving them as contradictory to the values it upholds. Consequently, it has taken it upon itself to prevent the competition from taking place in Switzerland. They argue that Eurovision represents a misuse of public funds. Moreover, citing incidents following Eurovision in Malmö, they allege an increase in antisemitic incidents, alongside so-called “satanic” and supernatural occurrences during the event itself.
As early as July, the Swiss Federal Democratic Union party (EDU/UDF), in collaboration with the Federation of German Taxpayers, demanded a referendum against the funding of Eurovision 2025 by municipalities or cantons that make up the local government in Switzerland. UDF is considered a conservative Christian party that views Eurovision events as contrary to the values on which it is based, and consequently sees it as its duty to prevent the competition from taking place in Switzerland. They argue that Eurovision is a waste of public money. After the city was chosen as the host, in September, the Basel City Council approved a €40 million budget for hosting the competition, a move that galvanized Eurovision opponents.
The party began vigorously collecting signatures for a referendum on the question of approving the budget to fund the competition, and eventually obtained twice the required number of signatures. The referendum was scheduled for today, November 24. The Swiss, who are not known for their great conservatism, voted mostly in favor of funding the competition with public money, as mentioned, by a resounding majority.
The Swiss, not known for their great conservatism, voted mostly in favor of funding the competition with public money, as mentioned, by a resounding majority. The significance of the referendum results regarding Eurovision is that the Basel City Council can breathe a sigh of relief and begin preparations. The city will host all events – live performances, the Arena Plus, and the Eurovision Village. If the voting results had been negative, the show would likely have become only a minimal television broadcast, without all the events that traditionally surround it every year. Basel is expected to earn about 60 million Swiss francs from hosting Eurovision, mainly due to tourism and hospitality services.
Source: Canton Of Basel.
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.
