The president of RTVE, José Pablo López, has criticized the statements of the director of the Eurovision Festival, Martin Green, about a possible return of Russia to the contest, and has warned that “they destroy the image of the contest and hinder Spain’s return.”
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In an interview with journalist Pablo O’Hana, Green said that Russia could return even if the war in Ukraine continues and stated that “the invasion of another country is not a reason for exclusion from Eurovision.”
Regarding this, López, who claims to have warned of this possibility “in November 2025 before the Control Commission,” accused the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of wanting to readmit Russia “in the midst of the invasion of Ukraine just to justify its double standards with Israel” and described the situation as a “blatant insult to European values.”
In a message posted on the social network X, the director of RTVE demanded that the EBU “formally reject these statements” by Green and called for a change of course in the management of the festival. “It is time for a new era in Eurovision,” he concluded.
Final of 25 countries
The final of the Eurovision Festival 2026, which takes place this Saturday at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, will feature 25 countries in a running order led by Denmark and closed by Austria, the host country. Israel, one of the most controversial participants of this edition, will perform third, while Finland, the favorite in the betting, will perform in 17th place.
Spain is not participating this year for the first time since its debut in 1991 following RTVE’s withdrawal in protest of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands are also not participating.
Despite the public broadcaster’s withdrawal from the contest, Spaniards will be able to vote through the official contest website via a global system called ‘Rest of the World’, enabled for citizens of countries that are not part of the song festival.
The final of the music contest will begin this Saturday at 21:00 hours and in Spain it can be followed through the Eurovision YouTube channel since RTVE’s exit from the Festival means it will not broadcast the contest held in Vienna either.
Instead, the channel will broadcast La casa de la música, a musical special presented by Jesús Vázquez featuring artists such as Raphael, Manuel Carrasco, Ana Belén, Abraham Mateo, Camela, Siloé, and Mónica Naranjo, as well as the latest winners of the Benidorm Fest, among others.
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