YLE, the Finnish national broadcaster, has released a statement in the coming years coinciding with the EBU’s General Assembly in Geneva where the new Eurovision rules and regulations will be presented and ratified and Israel’s participation will be discussed.
YLE has set four key conditions in order to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest in the future:
- EBU implements its proposed changes to the competition rules, monitors their compliance, and evaluates the effect of these changes.
- The safety of the participants and the audience must be ensured.
- The number of organizations participating in Eurovision remains large, and Eurovision continues to be a cultural event that brings together the international community.
- The costs for participating organizations must not increase unreasonably.
The Finnish national broadcaster will decide on its Eurovision 2026 participation based on the outcome of the discussion and voting at today’s meeting at the EBU’s General Assembly in Geneva.
YLE’s official press release and statemet reads:
Yle’s Management Group has decided on the conditions that must be met for the Finnish public service media to participate in Eurovision in the coming years. EBU member organizations are meeting today in Geneva to discuss the competition.
The core of the Management Group’s unanimous position statement is that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) implements the changes to the competition rules that the organization has proposed. The plan is to discuss and vote on these changes during the EBU General Assembly meeting later today. Yle will make its decision on participating in Eurovision based on the outcome of the discussion and vote at the meeting.
Yle believes that the changes proposed by the EBU are moving in the right direction. What is essential for Yle is that the voting cannot be manipulated and that the independence of the competition is secured.
YLE’s CEO Ms. Marit af Bjorkesten says:
Eurovision’s original purpose has been to create a space where we can meet despite differences and disagreements. For this to be possible in the future as well, the union and members must ensure that the competition is not used for political influence
YLE’s statement continues to read:
In addition to the changes in the competition rules, Yle requires that the number of organizations participating in Eurovision remains sufficiently large and that the costs for the participating members do not increase unreasonably. The safety of the participants and the audience must also be ensured.
This year, 37 companies participated in Eurovision. Yle has participated in the competition 58 times during the years 1961–2025.
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