RTVSLO, the Slovenian national broadcaster, has released a statement regarding Eurovision 2024 in the wake of the incidents which afflicted the competition.

The Slovenian national broadcaster has addressed some urgent questions to the EBU after a series of incidents at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest and has called for a professional discussion with the EBU’s management regarding this matter.

RTVSLO released the following statement:

After this year’s Eurovision week, Television Slovenia, which traditionally takes care of the ESC (Eurovision Song) project, collected some of the most urgent questions that are the result of this year’s event and events related to it.

We emphasize that the selection for the Eurovision Song Contest is an extremely important project for Television Slovenia and Slovenia, that it is an event with an exceptional resonance in our country and among our musicians, and that RTV Slovenia is happy to be a part of this story. That is why, after this year’s polemical Eurovision week, Televizija Slovenija requests some concrete answers to the most pressing questions from those responsible at the EBU, and at the same time wants these questions to stimulate a wider discussion about the future and development of the Eurovision Song Contest, which, as already noted, this year was unfortunately marked by many polemical discussions.

Television Slovenia is therefore asking the EBU for data on the voting of the Slovenian audience, not just the number of votes, but exact data on how the Slovenian audience voted. The total result raises some doubts, especially the large number of ‘new’ online voters, which have not been there before.

Television Slovenia, among other things, requests more precise explanations from the EBU regarding the exclusion of the Netherlands; reports by some media that technical means were used to replace the actual sound image of what was happening in the hall; on banning the EU flag; about the possible influence of the sponsor on the content of the event…

Television Slovenia calls on the authorities at the EBU to discuss the introduction of the “Rest of the World” vote. What is its meaning and why should citizens of countries that do not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest have an influence on the outcome of the contest?

Last but not least, Televizija Slovenija also calls for reflection on ways to more effectively include the opinion of EBU members in the planning of the selection and when making key decisions or how to establish a more democratic decision-making system.

Source: RTVSLO
Photo credit: Sarah Louise Bennet/ EBU