Spanish broadcaster demands EBU review after dramatic discrepancy between jury and public votes…
The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE has formally urged the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to re-evaluate the Eurovision Song Contest’s public voting system. The call comes after Israel’s contestant Yuval Rafael won the audience vote by a large margin but failed to secure victory due to low jury scores — a result that has sparked widespread debate across Europe.
According to a report by Telediarios de TV, RTVE has asked the EBU to assess whether the current voting method truly reflects the will of the public and whether ongoing military conflicts may be influencing the public’s choices. The broadcaster suggested that several other countries intend to submit similar requests in the coming days.
Yuval Rafael received the maximum 12 points from the public in 13 countries — including Spain and Belgium, both of which have been openly critical of Israeli policy. The gap between her public and jury support has fueled controversy over the fairness and relevance of the split voting system.
The dissatisfaction in Spain is also tied to their own disappointing result: the country’s representative, Melody, finished 24th out of 26 finalists, earning just 37 points. Spanish frustration was further compounded by a controversy involving RTVE hosts, who, moments before Yuval Rafael’s semifinal performance, referenced United Nations figures on casualties in Gaza — a move that violated EBU’s rules on political neutrality. Israel has formally complained, and Spain now faces the possibility of a significant financial penalty.
Yuval Rafael ultimately finished second in the grand final. She placed 15th after the jury vote with just 60 points, but her resounding victory in the public vote — scoring 297 points — catapulted her into first place for much of the evening. However, Austria’s JJ, who had led after the jury votes, received just enough points from the public to reclaim the lead and win the contest.
The growing calls to reform the voting structure come amid rising concerns that the current hybrid system may no longer serve its intended purpose of balancing expert judgment with public sentiment.
