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From the music question: The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is at the center of a heated political debate. CDU boss and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has now positioned himself clearly-and demands consequences in the event that Israel is excluded from the competition.
The Schlager Show is therefore under massive pressure months before the actual event-not because of musical questions, but due to geopolitical tensions. It is about the participation of Israel against the background of the ongoing Gaza war.
While several countries, for example from the Scandinavian area, think loudly about a boycott of the ESC, if Israel takes part, an opposite counter-movement is now emerging: Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) spoke out in the ARD program “Caren Miosga on Sunday evening” for a withdrawal from ESC-should Israel actually exclude.
Merz: “Israel is one of them”
“I would advocate that,” Merz replied when asked whether Germany should voluntarily do without participation in this case. In addition, he called it “a scandal” that the exclusion of Israel was discussed at all. “Israel is one of them,” he emphasized.
What started in 1956 as a “Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson” with seven participating countries within the meaning of international understanding is a political minefield today. For months, ESC fans, artists’ associations and broadcasters have been discussing whether Israel’s participation has been compatible with the values of the competition. Above all, the continued war in Gaza and the humanitarian situation have launched numerous critical voices.
Several countries, including Ireland, Norway, Iceland and also the Netherlands, have indicated that in the event of Israeli participation in 2026. As early as 2024 in Malmö, there were violent protests and security measures around Israel’s contribution.
The European Radio Union (EBU), which organizes the ESC, has so far been depressed by a clear positioning – but the signs are not on vain sunshine.
Security also plays a role
A virtual special meeting of all memberships is convened for November. The participation of Israel should be coordinated.
A spokesman for EBU confirmed that both political and security aspects were taken into account. At the same time, the association regularly emphasizes the apolitical character of the competition – an attitude that is increasingly difficult to maintain.
While in parts of Europe an exclusion of Israel is required, a current survey by ARD Germany trend shows that the German population is mostly different. According to this, 65 percent of the respondents believe that Israeli artists and athletes are not responsible for the actions of their government and should therefore not be excluded by major international events.
The Eurovision Song Contest has been in a area of tension between pop culture, politics and geopolitical symbolism at the latest since the 2022 Ukraine crisis. However, the Israel case in 2026 could become a tear test for the entire ESC system-especially if a lower crack runs through the member nations of the EBU.
Rumpel route when organizing and processing the ESC?
If there is actually an exclusion of Israel, further withdrawals such as that of Germany – which would massively damage not only the musical, but also the economic and symbolic value of the competition.
In the host country Austria, there is a risk of a rumping route when organizing and processing the ESC, especially since it has become more and more jazzed into a mega media event in the past two decades. Cultural boycotts are “stupid and pointless,” said the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, Sepp Schellhorn, to the Wiener Zeitung “Kurier”.