RTVE wants to keep Spain out of Eurovision 2027

RTVE proposes keeping Spain out of Eurovision in 2027

Spain will not return to the Eurovision stage in 2027. The president of the Spanish public broadcaster, José Pablo López, announced on Tuesday, during his appearance before the parliamentary committee that oversees RTVE, that he will propose to the board keeping Spain's participation in the contest suspended for another year. According to one participant in the debate, the proposal faces no risk: the board holds a majority of members appointed by the Government and its allies, and, since this is a television programme, López would have the authority to decide without a vote.

What Eurovision costs and who pays for it

Savings run through the whole debate. One current of opinion welcomes the public broadcaster no longer funding an event it sees as unrelated to its remit, and in the same breath calls for the Benidorm Fest to be scrapped. The other half of the argument fits in one line: "anyone who wants a festival should pay for it out of their own pocket".

The double standard that points to football

The uncomfortable point is the sporting comparison. It is argued that there is no diplomatic showdown with FIFA and UEFA: if Spain threatened to withdraw from their competitions while Israel keeps competing, the cost would be quite different. No one has carried that threat into practice. Hence the question raised by these messages: the boycott is applied where it is cheap.

It remains to be seen whether the suspension holds up against the calendar. With the board aligned, 2027 looks settled; beyond that, the ball is still in the air and no one is committing to a return date.