Eurovision will have a "Code of Conduct" for participants after last year's scandals: what other rules will change

On December 16, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will introduce several rules at the Eurovision Song Contest to ensure that no scandalous incidents occur in future song shows. This will happen against the backdrop of an investigation into the "misconduct" of the Dutch representative at the 2024 contest and the harassment of the Israeli participant because of the country's military actions.

Now, the EBU will implement a Code of Conduct that will apply to participants, media and teams on the show. The European Broadcasting Union announced all the new rules on its official website.

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct requires compliance with local laws, polite behavior, and prohibits political affiliations and unfair competition. In case of violation of these norms, representatives of countries and media may lose their accreditation.

Separate zones will also be set up for participants, where media members will not be allowed to enter. It is there that teams will be able to collect their thoughts, relax and tune in to their performance. In particular, more closed rehearsals will be introduced for the participants, where outsiders will not be able to enter. Again, this is necessary for high-quality preparation for the performance.

The rehearsal schedule is also going to be changed. It is to be optimized so that the representatives of the countries have enough time to rest and walk around the host city, which is to be Basel, Switzerland, in 2025.

"We are united by music, and it is up to all of us to ensure that Eurovision remains an event that promotes unity, diversity and inclusiveness. We believe that the changes we are making for Basel 2025 will make the Song Contest the best experience for our participants, staff and viewers," said Martin Green, the new EBU Director General.

As a reminder, Jost Klein, a representative of the Netherlands, was disqualified from Eurovision 2024 for allegedly violent actions against a show worker. The Dutch broadcaster (Avrotros) noted that the reason was a "threatening movement" towards the woman, but the artist did not touch her. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet wrote that a verbal altercation took place between the participant and the cameraman, as a result of which Klein damaged the video camera. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) called his behavior a "violation of the contest rules" and banned him from performing on stage.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that singer Slimane, who represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, was accused of harassment. According to the victim, who was a former member of the artist's technical team, the incident took place at the end of 2023 after one of the soloist's concerts.

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