Spain at Eurovision: The Spanish national broadcaster has taken a more extreme stance regarding Eurovision 2025, threatening to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if the European Broadcasting Union does not meet its demands.
Spain is intensifying its pressure and is now threatening to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if its demands to the European Broadcasting Union are not addressed. As previously reported, Spain has called for an investigation into the credibility of the public vote results in Eurovision 2025, apparently following Yuval Raphael’s victory. In addition, Spain has pushed to open a broader discussion about Israel’s participation—a move seemingly aimed at excluding Israel from the contest, given that Spain is currently governed by a distinctly far-left, anti-Israel administration.
Ana Maria Bordas, head of the Spanish Eurovision delegation since 2017 and currently a member of the EBU’s reference group, was asked about the possibility of Spain’s withdrawal and responded briefly: “We’ll see.” Her succinct reply leaves open the possibility that Spain may reconsider its participation if significant changes are not made to the way the contest is managed and organized.
Spain vs. Israel – Background
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a political storm triggered after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly stated that Israel should not participate in Eurovision. He argued that just as Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine, Israel should also be absent from the European stage due to its military actions in Gaza. He emphasized that “what we cannot afford is double standards in culture,” thereby seeking to impose cultural sanctions on Israel similar to those against Russia—a move sparking fierce debate inside and outside Spain.
Sánchez’s remarks came after Israel’s impressive success at Eurovision 2025, where Yuval Raphael earned second place thanks to overwhelming public support—including 12 points from Spanish viewers. Following this, RTVE demanded that the EBU investigate the vote tallying method, and far-left parties in Spain claimed the voting outcome resulted from a “campaign by Israel’s far-right.” Conversely, the far-right party Vox demanded the dismissal of RTVE’s CEO for allegedly broadcasting a pro-Palestinian political message live—a message that sparked both criticism and support.
In response, Israel’s Minister for the Diaspora, MK Amichai Shikli, posted a message in Spanish directly addressing Sánchez: “It seems the Spanish people have spoken—and the slap was heard here in Jerusalem.” The post, which included the scoreboard showing Spain awarding Israel the highest points, highlighted the gap between public will and government positions. This affair underscores the growing tension between politics and culture—and, in this case, Spain’s government attempt to enforce a hardline stance against Israel’s participation on the international stage.
142,000 Voters-But RTVE Rejects the Result
The Spanish national broadcaster received only preliminary data from the European Broadcasting Union regarding the Spanish vote, indicating that 142,688 public votes were cast in the grand final. According to the report, votes were submitted via 7,283 phone calls, 23,840 SMS messages, and 111,565 online votes through the official app. As a reminder, voting incurs a fee of €0.99 per vote, with up to 20 votes allowed per person.
Public Support, Jury Ignored-Israel Finishes Second
The gap between the jury vote and the public vote raises many questions. While the Spanish jury gave Israel and the song “New Day Will Rise” zero points, the Spanish public awarded the full 12 points. In other words, there is a stark contrast between the professionals’ decision and the will of the masses-a phenomenon not uncommon at Eurovision, but now drawing significant political and media attention.
The Spanish national broadcaster claims it is not alone in its demand: according to sources within the Spanish broadcasting team, other countries are also considering similar reviews of voting results.
Criticism Within Spain: Madrid Region Leader Attacks National Broadcaster
Even within Spain, there are those who support Israel and criticize the conduct of the national broadcaster. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, attacked the broadcaster for “embarrassing politicization” of Eurovision: “RTVE in this final is the most political station, the most controlled by the government. This is a sign of weakness, degeneration, and regime,” she wrote on social media.
According to her, those who shout against Israel remain silent in the face of terror, torture, and executions in Muslim countries. Thus, instead of focusing on a musical event, Eurovision has become an ideological battleground.
Millions of Viewers-And One Clear Message: Israel Is Not Alone
Despite everything, nearly six million viewers watched the Eurovision final in Spain-an increase of 8.3 rating points from last year. Even if the Spanish national broadcaster struggles to accept the data, the public has spoken clearly. The immense support for Yuval Raphael reflects an authentic and independent desire-one that chose to ignore politics and listen only to the song.
Spain in Eurovision 2025
“Esa Diva” (in English: “That Diva”) is the title of the song performed by singer Melody, who represented Spain at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
Spain finished 24th with 37 points – 27 points from the juries (21st place) and only 10 (22nd place) from the televotes. In the last 20 years, Spain managed to finish only 3 times in the top 10.
Eurovision 2025: This was Spain’s 65th participation in Eurovision. Spain joined the competition in 1961 and won it twice consecutively in 1968 and 1969. Spain has hosted the contest on its territory only once in 1969 and since then holds the longest waiting time since its last victory – 56 years.
