San Marino, the smallest country in Eurovision, joins several nations announcing they will not boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates. Does support from such a small nation signal hope for the contest?
San Marino’s national broadcaster, SMRTV, which has already expressed interest in participating in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, has stated it will not boycott the contest even if Israel takes part. This announcement follows similar statements from Norway, and from supporters including Austria, Italy, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, and Switzerland, all backing Israel’s right to participate.
An Encouraging Statement: No Boycott if Israel Competes
This past week, Slovenia, Ireland, and the Netherlands officially declared their intention to boycott Eurovision while Israel is allowed to participate. Additionally, Iceland and Spain have hinted they too may withdraw should Israel remain in the contest. Declarations from countries confirming their participation regardless of Israel’s involvement, while perhaps made out of necessity, are a positive note amid current tensions. San Marino’s entry will once again be chosen via the San Marino Song Contest pre-selection, a process in place since 2022.
EBU’s Response: “Each Broadcaster Decides Whether to Participate”
Martin Green, the contest’s executive supervisor, stressed that participation in Eurovision is voluntary:
“The EBU will continue to maintain neutrality regarding the Middle East conflict”.
The vote on Israel’s suspension is expected December 4th-5th during the EBU General Assembly. Green added that by mid-December, each country will be required to confirm participation, and each national broadcaster will decide independently: “We will respect every decision”.
The EBU’s regulations allow suspension or expulsion of a country only through a special vote with a qualified majority, and only in extreme circumstances. Therefore, despite pressure from Slovenia, Spain, and Iceland, suspending or excluding Israel does not seem realistic at this stage. Nevertheless, Slovenia’s declarations and threats, along with the possibility of more countries joining a boycott, place significant uncertainty over the Vienna contest. Will Israel ultimately take part in the competition? For now, it is impossible to say with certainty — but many are still holding their breath in hope.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
San Marino at Eurovision 2025
“Tutta L’Italia” (in English: “All of Italy”) is the song that Gabry Ponte has performed to represent San Marino at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. He finished 10th in the semi-final and qualified with 46 points, for the fourth time ever for San Marino. In the final, Ponte came 26th and last with 27 points only.
Eurovision 2026: This was San Marino’s 16th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. San Marino joined the competition in 2008 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2019 when the singer Serhat finished in 19th place with the song “Say Na Na Na” .
