ESC: split between politics and spectacle
The singer Dara from Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna by an unprecedented margin. Her country, which had refrained from participating for the past three years for cost reasons, will now host the event in 2027. Israel, over whose participation five countries boycotted the contest, came in second again. Europe's media examine the cultural and political importance of the musical extravaganza.
Yet another reason to leave
Denmark should also pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest, argues Jyllands-Posten:
“Five countries boycotted the event because the EBU refused to take a stance on Israel's participation. That's yet another reason why Denmark should pull out now: it's naive to say that the Eurovision Song Contest is not political. It became political when Russia was excluded. And once you make a decision like that, you find yourself on a political slippery slope. There is no reason why Denmark should continue to be involved in this show. Quite apart from the fact that it's pointless to take part in a song contest that has lost its song. ... No one will miss us. And we won't miss this strange show either.”
Rejection of anti-Israel sentiment
The Spectator is delighted that Israel came in second place:
“The attempt to frame Israel as a global pariah failed to resonate. Instead, ordinary decent people – not the extremists screaming 'globalise the intifada' through city centres – cast their vote. ... Israel has an impressive Eurovision pedigree, having won the contest four times – in far less turbulent circumstances – by consistently fielding strong entries. So this year's result was hardly just an anti-protest protest vote, given the sheer calibre of Bettan's performance. Whatever drove Israel's 2026 success, it should stand above all as a reminder that, however desperately some activists may wish otherwise, cultural events cannot be hijacked as a referendum on foreign policy.”
Europe needs this shared space
Der Tagesspiegel defends the contest:
“On the contrary: precisely because Europe appears so deeply divided politically and socially it needs places where the continent can still be seen as a whole. The ESC is one of the last remaining occasions for which Europe comes together – not as an abstract institution, but as a cultural space. ... Perhaps that is the real message of the ESC today: not that Europe is free of conflict, but that this continent still has shared spaces despite its conflicts. The alternative would not be a 'pure', apolitical competition. The alternative would be no shared European space at all.”
Bulgaria's victory has saved the contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is not apolitical, the NRC stresses:
“Israel was allowed to participate and, aside from being reprimanded by the organisers for yet again running an advertising campaign to canvass for votes, the country's participation seemed no different from any other year. ... The ESC proved, just like the opening of the Vienna Biennale a week earlier, that cultural events are not apolitical. ... As Israel came second, meaning that it won't be hosting the ESC next year, the contest has effectively been 'saved' by Bulgaria. Whether this can also save Europe's reputation, however, is highly questionable.”
Culture is not a luxury
Singer and music producer Ruth Koleva issues an appeal to Bulgarian politicians in a Facebook post published by Dnevnik:
“This is not your victory. It is not the result of a strategy, a policy, a vision or state music funding. ... Why did Bulgaria not participate in the ESC for so many years? Because the Bulgarian state broadcaster (BNT) could not afford this 'luxury'. Not because we lack talent, artists or potential, but because music is not a priority in our country. So, no, please don't try to claim this as your victory. Please try to understand it instead, and make music a priority in future. Make culture a priority.”