The Netherlands confirmed its Eurovision 2026 participation and began internal selection, but refuses to disclose how many songs were submitted—citing ongoing negotiations with the EBU, apparently regarding Israel’s participation.
Claude brought the Netherlands notable success at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, with an uneventful and smooth participation. The Netherlands was enthusiastic about the upcoming 2026 contest and quickly launched its internal selection process.
The Dutch national broadcaster, AVROTROS, opened its internal submission window as early as May 19, 2025—just two days after the 2025 Grand Final. The nation was the first to confirm Eurovision 2026 participation back in November 2024 and was once again optimistic following the end of the 2025 season.
Despite tradition, the Netherlands now refuses to reveal the number of songs submitted to its selection process, citing ongoing discussions with the European Broadcasting Union about the “future of the contest,” widely believed to revolve around Israel’s participation.
According to AVROTROS, “Immediately after the Grand Final, we expressed concerns about Eurovision’s future and the impact of geopolitics on the contest. Since then, we’ve been in talks with the EBU and other countries about Eurovision’s values and its identity.”
This position places the Netherlands within the “anti-Israel group” alongside Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, and Iceland.
Despite criticisms, the Netherlands does not have a left-wing government—in fact, efforts to sanction Israel have been blocked in parliament. The Dutch public broadcasting structure allocates channels across the political spectrum. AVROTROS, a center-left broadcaster, is particularly critical of Israel, explaining its stance.
Netherlands at Eurovision 2025
“C’est La Vie” is the title of the song performed by Claude, who represented the Netherlands at Eurovision 2025. The Netherlands qualified for the Grand Final after placing third in the first semi-final with 121 points. In the Grand Final, the Netherlands finished in 12th place with 175 points, with the jury awarding the country fifth place, but the public at home ranking it only 15th.
This year, the Netherlands participated in the Grand Final after two years of missing out. In 2023, Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper failed to qualify from the semi-final, while in 2024, Joost Klein was disqualified after the semi-final due to a violent incident involving the competition’s production team.
Eurovision 2025: This was the Netherlands’ 65th participation in Eurovision. The Netherlands joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won it five times over the years. The Netherlands’ last victory was at Eurovision 2019 with the song “Arcade” performed by singer Duncan Laurence.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
