Greece: Left-Wing Party Raises Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 2026 for Parliamentary Debate

Greece’s left-wing party calls for a parliamentary discussion on boycotting Eurovision due to Israel’s participation and the boycott of 4 countires

Call from Greek Parliament

A group of members from the left-wing Syriza party, including Rena Dourou, submitted a formal inquiry in the Greek Parliament to government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis. In their request, the MPs sought clarification regarding the government’s stance on the contest and Israel’s participation.

The party’s inquiry centered on three main points: why Greece has not withdrawn from the competition like the four countries that already have; whether the government upholds the view that Israel’s participation is “transparent and neutral”; and how consistency is maintained in the contest’s rules, given that Israel was not disqualified while Russia was in 2022.

According to the Greek Eurovision news site EurovisionFun, the national broadcaster, ERT, voted in favor of the new regulations and supported Israel’s participation in the event. Moreover, the national broadcaster attended the EBU conference with an expanded delegation, including the chairperson of the board and the corporation’s CEO, to express their backing of Israel.

Even if the debate does take place in the Greek Parliament, it is unlikely to alter Greece’s participation in the contest. Preparations for the national selection – “Ethnikos Telikos” – scheduled for February, ahead of the competition in Vienna—are already well underway.

All the Details about the greek national final

The Eurovision 2026 national-final season is officially underway, bringing excitement and optimism to audiences across Europe just in time. Reports from the national broadcaster in Greece reveal new details about the Greek selection process, and today fans can finally look forward to the upcoming announcement: which artists will compete this year? According to an announcement released today by the national broadcaster, the expected date for unveiling the selected contestants and their songs is December 20.

This year’s national final will be hosted by Betty Maggira, who previously co-hosted the shows in 2008 and 2009 and is now expected to present the semi-finals, and Giorgos Kapoutzidis, who returns to host the grand final after 13 years.

The Greek Eurovision national final is scheduled for February 7, with two semi-finals planned for February 3 and February 5.

International Interest in the Line-Up

A total of 264 songs were submitted to the selection, but one in particular has drawn notable international attention. Israeli Composer Keren Peles has written a song produced by Tomer Biran and performed by Xannova Xan, a Greek singer who recently had an interview on our website. Fans will be watching closely on December 20 to see whether the song will be part of Greece’s national-final lineup for Eurovision 2026.

How the Competing Songs Be Selected?

All songs submitted for a chance to represent Greece will be evaluated by a seven-member committee, of which only two members will represent ERT. This structure is intended to ensure transparency and diversity of opinions. However, the names of the jury members will be disclosed only after the songs are published, maintaining objectivity during the selection process.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Greek national broadcaster ERT officially confirmed receiving 264 submissions for the national selection process through which Greece’s entry will be chosen for the grand stage in Vienna, Austria.

As reported earlier, the submission window was open from September 17th to November 2nd. In the final 24 hours, over 100 songs were sent in. Notably, 200 of all submissions arrived during the last five days of the submission window.

Keren Peles for Greece?

According to an exclusive report published on our website, Keren Peles has submitted a song for Greece’s national final! Keren Peles wrote a song that was submitted to the Greek pre-selection, expected to take place at the end of January. This fascinating collaboration began earlier this summer through a partnership with the Greek Eurovision website Eurovisionfun, where Peles and the Greek production team began working jointly on the project. The creative team includes both Greek and Israeli professionals. Peles is no stranger to Greece — she owns a home on the island of Antiparos and spends considerable time there.

The involvement of Israeli songwriters in Eurovision national selections across Europe is not a new phenomenon. Still, Keren Peles’ participation in Greece’s competition, as a well-known figure representing Israeli pop culture in recent years, is expected to attract substantial media attention — and possibly spark protests from anti-Israel circles in Greece.

Relations between Israel and Greece in recent years have swung between tension and friendship. There was hostility during Eurovision 2024, particularly following the “yawning incident” involving Marina Satti. However, in Eurovision 2025, relations warmed thanks to Klavdia’s success, which received 12 points from the Israeli jury and 7 points from the Israeli public. Now, with Keren Peles taking part in Greece’s national final, the musical partnership between the two nations may continue to strengthen in the years ahead.

Expanded Format: Major Changes in the Greek National Selection

Last year’s “Ethnikos Telikos” was a massive success within Greece and beyond, with the January 30th, 2025 broadcast achieving the highest TV ratings in Greece for 15 years. The contest’s winner, Klavdia, brought Greece an impressive sixth place at Eurovision 2025, matching the country’s 2013 achievement – one not matched until this year.

According to information we got from Eurovisionfun, the “Ethnikos Telikos” expands this year to include two Semi-Finals in addition to the Final. 28 songs will compete: 14 in each Semi-Final. The outcome in the Semi-Finals will be determined solely by the public, who will select seven qualifiers from each Semi-Final for the Final. In the Final, 14 entries will compete, with voting once again split 50-50 between juries – equally divided between a domestic and an international panel – and the public. According to the broadcaster:

“Through an upgraded and open-to-all process, including two Semi-Finals and one Final, ERT moves forward with selecting the song and artist that will represent our country in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. This follows the successful organization of last January’s national final and Greece’s excellent 6th place at Eurovision 2025, which achieved record ratings of the last 15 years. Specifically, up to 28 songs will compete across two Semi-Finals, from which 14 will qualify for the National Final, decided exclusively by the public. In the National Final, the winning song will be determined by both the audience and the juries, granting the performer the ticket to Vienna, where the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May 2026”.

Greece at Eurovision 2025

“Asteromáta” (translated as: “Eyes of Stars”) is the song performed by Klavdia, who represented Greece in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Greece finished sixth in the grand final with 231 points.

Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.