🇸🇮 Slovenia: RTVSLO Will Likely Not Participate in Eurovision 2026

According to Ksenija Horvat, director of RTVSLO, Slovenia is “probably” not going to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

At the most recent RTVSLO Assembly meeting, members discussed the broadcaster’s potential participation in Eurovision 2026. Ksenija Horvat addressed the topic, explaining the proposal to substitute the newly planned Saturday entertainment program with the established quiz show Joker. The new show was intended to serve as the basis for selecting Slovenia’s representative for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.

“We were working on a concept for a program that would showcase young, new, and fresh performers from the beginning of October. This would lead us to Ema, the final selection, where Slovenia’s representative for Eurovision would be chosen.”

The proposal to cancel the show—and, consequently, Slovenia’s national selection—is based on two reasons, according to Ms. Horvat. The primary reason is the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) lack of response to RTVSLO’s inquiries regarding the event’s participation rules.

“As you know, a lot has happened since April… We have made several requests to the EBU to engage in more dialogue with us, the smaller broadcasters, regarding the rules of participation in Eurovision. We sent very specific questions and proposals, similar to last year, but were ignored both times. As a result, we realistically believe that we will not be participating in Eurovision next year, as we have publicly stated. If we cannot agree on an appropriate system of participation with the EBU, we will not be there, which renders this concept of the show meaningless for us.”

The second reason given was the recent success of the TV quiz show Joker and additional financial considerations.

“In the first half of the year, we were under the pressure to save money at every turn, reviewing where we could reduce costs, and that was basically part of the savings plan. Several factors align here, but the main point is that we apparently won’t be participating in the Eurovision Song Contest.”

Letter to the EBU and Their Response

In late May, RTVSLO sent a letter to the EBU stating that the broadcaster would reconsider participation if the EBU took “concrete steps and addressed the issues.” In the letter, Ms. Horvat highlighted concerns regarding Israel’s participation and the voting in the contest:

“As the Director of Televizija Slovenija, I am once again addressing you with serious and growing concerns regarding Israel’s continued participation in EBU events, especially the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately, the response we received did not contain convincing or concrete explanations, nor did it reflect the urgency and seriousness of the issue we are addressing. During this time, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has worsened, and public concern—both in Slovenia and throughout Europe—has increased significantly.”

The EBU subsequently committed to a “wider discussion” on Israel’s participation, addressing the issue at their General Assembly in July.

In a public statement following the assembly, the EBU noted that “ the Members held an open and constructive discussion on the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) and the increasingly complex global context in which it takes place”. They also confirmed that members had a wide range of perspectives on those issues and had a constructive exchange of views during the meeting.

At that time, the EBU also committed to transparency and promised to “keep Members informed of developments in the months ahead.” However, based on Ms. Horvat’s explanation during the assembly, it appears the EBU has not taken action to date to resolve the concerns of RTVSLO.

Extension of the Participation Confirmation Deadline

Meanwhile, the EBU recently confirmed that the deadline for broadcasters to confirm participation without financial penalty for Eurovision 2026 is mid-December, extended from the standard 13th of October deadline. This extension was intended “to provide broadcasters with additional flexibility and clarity in finalizing their application to take part in next year’s event.”

RTVSLO is not the only broadcaster deliberating its participation in next edition of Eurovision Song Contest. AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, is reportedly still in discussions with the EBU regarding the Netherlands’ participation in Vienna due to “geopolitical influences on the contest.”

Image source: RTVSLO | Source: RTVSLO

Slovenia was one of three countries to join the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993. The country qualified through a specially organised selection round called “Kvalifikacija za Millstreet” which was hosted in Slovenia, seven countries competed for three spots in Eurovision 1993. The country has participated in 22 editions of the Eurovision Song Contest. Their best result came in 1995 when Darja Švajger finished 7th scoring a total of 84 points. She is closely followed by Nuša Derenda who finished 7th in the 2001 contest with 70 points.

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