Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, has expressed hope that the countries boycotting the event's 2026 edition will rejoin in 2027.
Green shared his thoughts during a brief interview with Eurovision News on Thursday evening, following decisions by the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Ireland to pull out of next year's contest.
The boycott comes after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) voted on Thursday to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision again. That decision has faced criticism concerning the ongoing war in Gaza and accusations of “political interference” by the Israeli government.
Green described the meeting between member countries as an “honest and moving debate.” He emphasised that Eurovision was not a political platform, noting that it was not governments participating, but broadcasters and artists.
He acknowledged the impact of the Middle Eastern conflict, stating that no-one could avoid being moved by what is happening there. He added that he respected the members who feel strongly about the issues, but noted that there are 35 countries that are still participating.
In Belgium, calls have been mounting for a boycott of the contest, similar to the move by the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Ireland. The socialist union ACOD-VRT and Vooruit party have urged Belgian broadcasters not to air Eurovision 2026.
Other parties, such as Groen and the PVDA (Labour), have demanded that Belgium withdraw entirely from the competition.
Sammy Mahdi, chairman of the Christen Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) party, has voiced support for these calls.
