Eurovision Tightens Rules After Allegations of Government-Backed Voting Campaign

The Eurovision Song Contest has announced a package of rule changes aimed at restoring trust after allegations that coordinated, third-party promotion boosted Israel’s entry to a surprise second place this year. Organisers said the measures are designed to protect the contest’s neutrality and reduce the risk of suspicious or coordinated voting activity.

Key changes

Reduced televote allowance: Viewers will now be able to cast up to 10 televotes each, down from the previous limit of 20. Organisers say the reduction is intended to limit the impact of concentrated voting campaigns.

Stronger safeguards: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will introduce enhanced monitoring and protections to detect and block suspicious or coordinated voting patterns.

Banned third-party promotion: Contestants and participating broadcasters are prohibited from taking part in promotional campaigns run by third parties, including governments. The change follows reports that state-linked advertising and official social accounts were used to encourage votes for one performer.

Professional juries reinstated for semi-finals: For the first time since 2022, juries will return to the semi-finals. The pool of eligible jurors will be broadened to include a wider range of professions, and at least two jurors in each country’s panel will be aged 18–25.

Political neutrality measures: Existing rules that limit overt political statements and the use of flags not representing a contestant's country remain in force; organisers reiterated their commitment to keeping the contest a neutral space for music.

Background and reaction

This summer, Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael—a 25-year-old survivor of the Oct. 7 attacks—received a dramatic late surge in the public televote, finishing second overall with 297 public points, the highest televote total for any finalist to date. The result drew protests at the final and prompted several broadcasters to request explanations and reviews of the voting data.

Broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Belgium formally asked the EBU for detailed voting breakdowns and investigations. In September, several countries warned they might boycott the 2026 contest unless Israel were excluded over the Gaza war; other hosts warned they would withdraw if Israel were expelled. An emergency vote on Israel’s participation was scheduled but later cancelled following a ceasefire, and Israel is currently expected to take part in the next contest.

"One of the clearest messages we received was the need to strengthen trust in the fairness of the contest, to ensure it remains a neutral space for the celebration of music and its power to bring us together," said Martin Green, director of the competition. "Governments do not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, artists do."

The EBU emphasised that the contest continues to rely on a dual scoring system—professional juries and public televoting—each capable of awarding up to 12 points per country. The new safeguards and promotional bans are intended to ensure those scores reflect genuine audience and industry opinion rather than organised outside influence.