In the video, Sánchez sharply criticized the European Broadcasting Union over its decision to allow Israel to participate in the competition. He accused Israel of genocide and said Spain was taking a stand against “injustice.”
“This year is going to be different,” Sánchez began his remarks. “Several months ago, the public broadcaster made a coherent and necessary decision: to stand against injustice. Therefore, Spain will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Our commitment to human rights and international law is also expressed through culture, and therefore we could not act otherwise.”
Sánchez further argued that the EBU was applying a double standard compared with its treatment of Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was immediately removed from Eurovision, and Spain fully supported that decision,” Sánchez noted. “The exact same principles and values must also be applied when we are talking about Israel. There simply cannot be double standards.”
Sánchez also addressed Israel’s military campaign, saying, “In the face of the illegal war and genocide, silence is not an option, and we cannot remain indifferent to what continues to happen every day in Gaza and Lebanon. This is first and foremost a question of coherence, public responsibility, and humanity.”
“We will not be in Vienna, but we will do so out of deep inner conviction that we are on the right side of history,” he concluded.
According to RTVE and local media reports in Spain, Sánchez’s move has drawn backlash at home. The conservative opposition party, PP, sharply criticized the prime minister, calling him a “hypocrite” and accusing him of exploiting suffering in Gaza for electoral purposes.
The opposition also questioned what it described as the government’s inconsistency, noting that Spain is boycotting Eurovision while allowing Spanish athletes to compete in the World Athletics Championships, in which Israel is also participating.
