The Flemish socialist party Vooruit has called on the country’s Flemish national public broadcaster VRT, to demand an investigation into the Eurovision Song Contest’s televoting.
Vooruit raised concerns over possible manipulation after the Israeli song received the maximum (12) points by the Belgian public, while the country’s professional jury gave the Israeli song zero points.
The PS (French-speaking Socialist Party) also wants an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the vote.
“A system allowing up to 20 votes per person encourages manipulation. It’s crucial to determine if this occurred in our country or others. The VRT should advocate for an investigation and discuss televoting practices with the EBU, as well as Israel’s participation,” Vooruit MP, Katia Segers, said.
The Spanish public television has already requested a similar investigation to the country’s televoting. Similar to Belgium, the Israeli song also received 12 points from the Spanish public and none from the country’s professional jury.
Meanwhile the European Broadcasting Union has threatened to sanction the Spanish broadcaster for bringing up the Israeli-Gaza war during the contest’s semi-finals.
The Flemish Socialist Party has also questioned Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision due to the Israel-Gaza war.
Israel won the overall public vote and finished second in the Eurovision contest, but its participation was controversial with protests in Basel during the course of the day.
