The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) responded to growing calls for transparency after public broadcasters in Spain and Belgium questioned the televote results of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.
“We take their concerns seriously,” Eurovision Director Martin Green CBE said a statement to Brussels Signal.
“Now the event has concluded we will have a broad discussion with participating broadcasters to reflect and obtain feedback,” he added.
Green congratulated Austria’s JJ and broadcaster ORF on their win with “Wasted Love”, and confirmed the EBU is in contact with both Spain’s RTVE and Belgium’s VRT about their concerns over the voting process.
The response comes after RTVE demanded an audit of the Spanish television vote.
Spain’s broadcaster complained it had only been given limited access to detailed data from EBU partner Digame.
Meanwhile Belgium’s VRT, while acknowledging no proven wrongdoing, questioned the transparency of the vote and warned it may reconsider its future participation.
Green emphasised the robustness of Eurovision’s voting system, calling it “the most advanced in the world,” with multiple layers of verification and independent monitoring.
“Our voting partner Once has confirmed that a valid vote was recorded in all countries,” he added.
Israel’s entry — 14th with juries, but first in the public vote — has also triggered scrutiny.
Both RTVE and VRT had publicly criticised Israel’s participation ahead of the contest.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later argued Israel should have been excluded, comparing the situation to Russia’s 2022 ban.
Green insisted Eurovision remains committed to fairness and will engage in “broad discussions” ahead of the contest’s 70th edition next year.
That contest will be held in Austria, following the victory of JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, and who when not competing in Eurovision is a classically trained counter tenor in Vienna.
