RTVSLO, the Slovenian national broadcaster, have released a statement regarding their future participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

RTVSLO, has sent a letter to the EBU calling for action to address its concerns regarding the competition. The Director of Televizija Slovenija has stated it will consider its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest should the EBU not take “concrete steps and address the issues”.

Ksenija Horvat, the Director of Televizija Slovenija, has written a letter to the Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union, in which she outlines concerns regarding Israel’s participation and the voting at the contest. The letter states the following:

“As the Director of Televizija Slovenija, I am once again addressing you with serious and growing concerns regarding Israel’s continued participation in EBU events, especially the Eurovision Song Contest.

Unfortunately, the response we received did not contain convincing or concrete explanations, nor did it reflect the urgency and seriousness of the issue we are addressing. During this time, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has worsened, and public concern – both in Slovenia and throughout Europe – has increased significantly.

Many viewers in Slovenia and elsewhere expressed serious doubts about the credibility and transparency of the voting, especially in the political context surrounding the contest. The feeling that political interests could influence decisions on participation or the final results of the vote shook the public’s trust in the impartiality of the EBU.

We are particularly interested in comparing telephone votes with online votes, as we believe this is essential to restoring trust in the integrity of the voting process. As public media, we have a duty to provide our audience with accurate and verifiable information.

As a public media outlet responsible to the public, RTVSLO is under increasing pressure to respond to such concerns. If the EBU does not take concrete steps and address the issues, we will consider our participation in future Eurovision events.

We will be forced to do so if the EBU continues to fail to address these key issues from both an ethical and public interest perspective.

We ask for an open, inclusive and urgent debate among its members – including music performers and civil society representatives – on voting transparency, engagement policies and ensuring that the EBU’s values are consistently and credibly implemented.”

Let us know what you think about Slovenia and the Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK, BLUESKY, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK pages.

The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovoix