The Eurovision organizer EBU appointed an independent investigation after the many controversies surrounding the latest final in Malmö. Now, changes are being announced that have or will be implemented before next year, reports Kulturnytt in Sveriges Radio.
In the top tier of Eurovision, a new role is being established that will, among other things, oversee the current CEO Martin Österdahl's work and take over some of his more long-term and strategic tasks. Österdahl was loudly booed during the final in Malmö.
Furthermore, the rulebook will be clarified so that the participating countries understand what they have signed up for, says EBU's Vice General Director Jean Philip de Tender to the radio.
EBU is a non-political organization and Eurovision needs to continue being a non-political arrangement, he says.
The new rules do not prevent Israel, whose participation in the shadow of the war in Gaza led to large protests, from participating in future competitions. But there are question marks around how the Eurovision brand will be protected in the future.
There are geopolitical tensions that can affect an arrangement like Eurovision. Therefore, we will review the rules and maybe consider if there are better ways to handle those risks, says de Tender.
