RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster, have withdrawn from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, in Vienna, during the EBU General Assembly last Thursday.

Following the country’s withdrawal from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, in Vienna, the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), have both reacted to the news. The Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, had the following to say:

“I fully understand the decision of RTÉ as a broadcaster because there are two groups of people, among many, who acted extremely brave during the war in Gaza: medical community and journalists.

This is, among other things, an act of solidarity with those journalists who were killed in breach of international humanitarian law during the war in Gaza.

Without those journalists the world would not have known the horrors of what transpired in Gaza, so I understand that fully.”

The Irish Tánaiste, Simon Harris, had the following to say:

“These are editorially independent decisions. I think that’s important. But, I would say this as way of context; We’ve seen hundreds of journalists killed throughout this horrific, horrific conflict.

We still today see a situation where there’s not free access by Israel for the media to get in to actually see the atrocities that have happened in Gaza. You can’t just forget or ignore the fact that a genocide has taken place in relation to Palestine.

I’m sure this was a well-considered decision. Ireland has a long affinity with the Eurovision, indeed, winning it more times than anyone, I think, at least jointly first.

But RTÉ would have weighed up all of these issues and made their decisions editorially independent of the Government, as it should be. But I certainly understand the context for that decision.”

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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: Éirevision