Despite debates and boycott calls following Israel’s participation, a new poll shows that 46% of the Portuguese public support the decision of RTP to take part in Eurovision 2026.
The Portuguese research company “Pitagórica” has published the results of a wide-ranging public poll addressing a question currently occupying much of Europe: whether to participate as usual in the contest or boycott the event due to Israel’s participation. Today (Tuesday), the results were revealed: 46% of Portuguese respondents support the decision of the Portuguese national broadcaster RTP to take part in Eurovision 2026. This figure comes amid growing public debate in Portugal surrounding Israel’s participation in the upcoming contest, set to take place in May in Vienna, Austria.
Who Supports and Who Opposes?
According to the poll, 46% of respondents support the decision of the Portuguese national broadcaster to participate normally in Eurovision. By contrast, 38% oppose Portugal’s participation. Of these, 28% believe the country should fully boycott the event, while 10% argue that “Festival da Canção 2026”, should take place, but that Portugal should not send a representative to Eurovision. An additional 9% said their position depends on developments leading up to Eurovision, while 7% refused to answer or stated they did not know their opinion on the issue.
The most notable finding of the poll lies in the breakdown of support: most respondents in favor of Portugal’s participation are men, people aged 35–44, residents of northern Portugal, individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and voters of the right-wing party Chega. This indicates that support is neither uniform nor limited to a single demographic group.
The Debate Surrounding Israel at Eurovision:
The poll comes at a particularly sensitive time. In recent months, calls to boycott Eurovision 2026 have been voiced by several European countries, including voices from within Portugal itself. As a reminder, 13 out of 16 participants in the Portuguese national selection announced that they would not represent Portugal at Eurovision as long as Israel takes part in the contest. Nevertheless, according to the current poll, a significant portion of the population has chosen to support RTP’s decision, pointing to a recognition of the contest’s importance as a cultural and musical space that connects people, rather than as a tool for political boycotts.
These figures reflect broad public backing for the national broadcaster’s decision to remain in the competition, providing RTP with substantial public support as the process continues. Calls for drastic action, criticism from certain segments of the public, and debates surrounding Israel have failed to undermine the position of the majority of Portuguese citizens, as reflected in the new poll.
Dates of “Festival da Canção 2026”:
- First Semi-Final – Saturday, February 21st, 2026.
- Second Semi-Final – Saturday, February 28th, 2026.
- Grand Final – Saturday, March 7th, 2026.
“Deslocado” (in English: “Displaced”) is the song that will be performed by NAPA band, representing Portugal in Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Portugal finished 21st with 50 points, ranked 19th in jury vote and 21st in public vote.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Portugal’s 57th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Portugal joined the competition in 1964 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2017 when singer Salvador Sobral won first place with the song “Amar pelos dois”.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Neta Geffen is a respected journalist at Euromix, Israel’s leading news site for Eurovision coverage. Since 2010, Neta has been closely following the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing with him extensive experience, profound knowledge, and a broad understanding of the history, politics, and cultural influences that shape the event every year.
Neta publishes articles, analyses, and up-to-date reviews on all Eurovision developments, including musical trends, format changes, political influences, and audience reactions across Europe and Israel. Thanks to a deep connection to the contest’s history, Neta provides readers with wide-ranging context—from the impact of political events on results, to in-depth analyses of songs and languages within the competition. Neta specializes particularly in the Eurovision rock genre, Balkan ballads, and native language entries, with a special focus on Italian and Greek songs.
