Julia Varela and Tony Aguilar are presenters of the Spanish Eurovision program. Credit: Screenshots of the show.
In an embarrassing and aggressive violation of the European Broadcasting Union (which manages the Eurovision Song Contest) protocol, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE aired pro-Palestinian messages during the Eurovision Song Contest, leading to formal warnings and threats of financial penalties.
The controversy began in the second semi-final when Spanish commentators, Spanish commentators Julia Varera and Tony Aguilar, who are television presenters for the Spanish show, said that “the number of casualties in Israeli attacks in Gaza exceeded 50,000” in order to maintain the Strick Rules from the Euroevision organization, according to the UN.
Despite EBU warnings, RTVE doubled and aired before the grand final. “In the face of human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice in Palestine.” EBU, which strictly enforces an apolitical stance to ensure that music remains united, responded with a letter to RTVE’s content director Ana María Bordas. According to Spanish news outlet Ceuta Erticulidad, the letter expressly bans political statements during the festival, threatening sanctions for further violations. RTVE’s actions sparked a debate over the EBU’s commitment to freedom of expression and neutrality.
At the 2024 contest, Irish entry Barbie Thug’s team booed the Israeli singer. This year, Ireland was not past its first semifinals, for the first time in living memory. Spain’s hopeful melody for 2025 was turned over to score, but only came in 24th.
The points system consists of two aspects: a ju apprentice from the music industry and a popularity poll from the Israeli entry from the 2025 Israeli entry.
The incident raises questions about the ongoing tensions surrounding the political message in Eurovision. This is a platform historically designed to unite a unified nation. It also suggests that those who have broken the rules of competition so badly may not be in contact with the audience following the competition itself.
As fallout continues, questions remain about how the EBU will implement its rules and whether RTVE will face further outcomes next year.
