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The Eurovision Song Contest, already under pressure from boycotts related to Israel’s participation, is facing a new controversy after organizers moved to revise voting rules following allegations of coordinated voting campaigns during last year’s competition, according to Reuters.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the contest, has introduced new measures for 2026 aimed at limiting what it calls “disproportionate promotional campaigns” after several broadcasters questioned the integrity of the results.

Criticism focused on data suggesting that Israel received around 83% of its total points from public televoting for the song “New Day Will Rise,” ultimately finishing in second place. In contrast, the winner Austria reportedly received about 41% of its points from the public vote and secured victory largely thanks to jury scores.

Organizers said last year’s contest saw unusually aggressive online campaigning, including social media posts and promotional activity—some reportedly linked to official channels—that encouraged viewers to vote multiple times. EBU director Martin Green described this as “disproportionate marketing” that goes beyond the intended spirit of the competition.

Under the new rules, the maximum number of votes a single viewer can cast through one payment method has been reduced from 20 to 10. The EBU is also introducing additional safeguards to detect and prevent coordinated voting campaigns.

However, officials acknowledge that it is impossible to fully eliminate external influence, as all voting systems are vulnerable to some degree of manipulation.

Further tension arose after the EBU issued a warning to Israeli broadcaster KAN over a video by this year’s entrant Noam Betan, which reportedly included a direct call to “vote for Israel 10 times.” The EBU said such instructions violate contest rules. KAN responded that it complies with all regulations and that the video was created by the artist’s team without any prohibited coordination.

The broadcaster also argued that similar promotional tactics are used by other participating countries.

Experts note that Eurovision has long been shaped not only by music but also by diaspora voting patterns, national campaigns, and geopolitical dynamics. Voting systems specialist Juan Moreno-Ternero said no model is fully immune to strategic manipulation, emphasizing that every system has inherent weaknesses.

As a result, Eurovision once again finds itself at the intersection of music, politics, and digital campaigning, where cultural celebration increasingly overlaps with international influence and public opinion battles.

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