Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna along with some other countries after members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided on Thursday to allow Israel to compete. The decision was confirmed for the public broadcaster by Natalija Gorščak, chair of the RTV Slovenija board.

"Our journalists were not and still are not allowed to enter Gaza, where more than 200 journalists were killed. Last year we saw that the Israeli performance was political. Don’t forget that we banned a similar performance by a Russian singer in Ukraine. In 2017, we opened Pandora’s box in Stockholm when a political song won, and since then we have been fighting against politics at Eurovision," Gorščak commented.

Gorščak added that she is not speaking about her personal beliefs, as she represents RTV Slovenia, the Slovenian public and performers from Slovenia in the EBU.

"For the third year in a row, the public has demanded that we say no to the participation of any country that attacks another country. We must follow European standards for peace and understanding. Eurovision has been a place for joy and happiness from the very beginning, performers and audiences were united by music, and it should remain that way.

Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza," she stated.

While Spain, The Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia have announced their withdrawal from the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, Belgium, Iceland and Portugal are expected to reveal their plans soon.