O Eurovision Song Contest will have new voting rulesnamely a reduction in the number of public votes and the return of judges in the semi-finals, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced this Friday.
In a statement, the EBU said that “important updates were made to the voting framework for the Eurovision Song Contest, to ensureEnhancing trust, transparency and public engagement“not event.
“The changes arise following a broad consultation process with EBU members [entre os quais a RTP] after the 2025 Festival”, explains the organization.
For the 2026 edition, the maximum number of votes possible for each viewer (made online, via SMS or phone call) is reduced from twenty to ten.
The festival semi-finals once again have professional juries – which has not happened since 2022 – and in both the semi-finals and the final there is a split of “approximately 50/50 between the votes of the jury and the public”.
The juries now comprise seven elements (previously there were five), they must represent a “variety of professional experiences” linked to music and the arts and they must sign a commitment to impartiality.
“Each jury will include at least two jurors between 18 and 25 years old“, says the UER.
In a statement, the UER also emphasizes that television stations and participating artists “are not authorized to actively participate in, facilitate or contribute to promotional campaigns of third parties who may influence the outcome of the vote”.
“Any attempt to unduly influence results will be sanctioned”, he says.
Samuel Uria
Rita Carmo
These measures are announced after they have appeared several controversies about the voting systemnotably involving Israel.
Some European countries, including Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands, have made public in recent months that consider boycotting the 2026 editionwhich will take place in Vienna, if Israel participates in the competition.
In the Netherlands, the public broadcasting association Avrotros accused Israel of having committed “proven interference during the last edition, engaging in political manipulation of the event”, in a reference to second position obtained by Israeli singer Yuval Raphaelthrough telephone voting, in this year’s edition of the competition.
Avrotros also justified the decision citing the “serious violations of press freedom” committed by Israel in Gaza.
Belgium, Sweden and Finland revealed that they were also thinking about participating in the festival. The boycotts are due to Israel’s military attacks on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip in the last two years, classified as genocide by an independent international commission of investigation of the United Nations.
On Tuesday, at a press conference, the general director of the Austrian public broadcasting station ORF, Roland Weissmann, said that “The time for diplomacy has arrived” so that the Eurovision Song Contest can be held in 2026.
Weissmann said he expects a commitment in December on Israel’s participation in Eurovision so that Austria can welcome “as many participants as possible.”
The European Broadcasting Union will make a decision at its winter ordinary general meeting, scheduled for December 4th and 5th.
A final do 70th Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled for May 16being preceded by two semi-finals on the 12th and 14th of that month.
The Eurovision Song Contest is organized by the EBU in cooperation with public operators from more than 35 countriesincluding RTP.
The competition has been held annually since 1956 and there have already been excluded countriesin the case of Belarus, in 2021, after the re-election of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and of Russia, in 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine.
Israel was the first non-European country to be able to participatein 1973, and won four times.
Austria won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, which took place last May in Basel, Switzerland, with the theme “Starmania”, performed by JJ. The Portuguese representatives, NAPAreached 21st place with the song “Deslocado”.
Portugal participated for the first time in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964, having since missed five editions (in 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016).
In 2017, Portugal won the competition for the first and only time with the song “Amar dos dos”, by Luísa Sobral, performed by Salvador Sobral.