Dutch Broadcaster Pulls Out of Eurovision Again, Citing 'Platform for Division'

Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS announced Monday that it will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, marking the second consecutive year of its boycott. The network described the event as a "platform for division" amid ongoing tensions over Israel's participation.

In a statement, AVROTROS said it could no longer consider the contest neutral because a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict. The broadcaster also pointed to "severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza" and "ongoing restrictions on press freedom" as factors that have deepened divisions around the event in recent years.

AVROTROS director-general Taco Zimmerman said the contest, originally created to unite countries, has increasingly been affected by international conflicts, undermining its neutral character. He added that the event has become a platform for division.

The decision follows a similar boycott by broadcasters in the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain for this year's contest, also due to Israel's involvement. AVROTROS has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, to establish transparent rules for countries involved in military conflicts. The broadcaster said recent changes announced by the EBU do not restore confidence in the contest's independence and neutrality.

The EBU, based in Geneva and representing public broadcasters from 56 countries, did not immediately comment. NPO, the Dutch public network, also did not respond to a request for comment. AVROTROS said it will leave any decision on Dutch involvement to NPO.

Eurovision, founded in 1956 to help unite Europe after World War II, has seen growing calls from performers and countries to exclude Israel, which has competed since 1973. Bulgaria's Dara won this year's contest with the song "Bangaranga."