AVROTROS have been given extra time to decide on Eurovision 2025 participation.
The Dutch broadcaster has been granted an extension deadline for Eurovision 2025 participation by the EBU. The broadcaster now has until November 1st to make a decision on whether The Netherlands will be present in Basel or not. The deadline for all other countries to confirm participation is September 15th.
Since Eurovision 2024 came to an end, AVROTROS have been in talks with the EBU for a number of weeks, namely with regards to the disqualification of their 2024 representative Joost Klein, and various other things that were going on behind the scenes at the contest in Malmö. Whilst these talks are still ongoing, they are constructive.
After visiting AVTROTROS, Jean Phillipe de Tender, Director of Media for the EBU, released this statement on Thursday morning: “With a visit by EBU’s Director of Media Jean Phillipe de Tender to AVTROTROS, the dialogue with the EBU has started. In order to give this constructive dialogue the chance of success, AVROTROS has requested a postponement for the decision on participation. The EBU has granted this postponement until 1 November, for which we are grateful.”
The EBU are also pleased with the talks that they have had with AVROTROS so far, and the organisers of Eurovision 2025 have high hopes that The Netherlands will participate in Eurovision 2025. A spokesperson for the EBU has told ANP: “We sincerely hope that AvroTros will participate in Basel in May.” They too have released a statement regarding AVROTROS’ extension deadline:
“The EBU is pleased with the constructive dialogue with AVROTROS about their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest next year. We confirm we have granted them an extension to the application deadline until 1 November. We very much hope to see AVROTROS compete in Basel next May and expect to publish the full list of participating broadcasters for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest by the end of this year.”
A step back in time
On Saturday 11th May, just hours before the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024 was set to take place, the EBU released a statement confirming that The Netherlands and Joost Klein had been disqualified from Eurovision 2024, and would no longer be participating in the final. This was due to a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following Joost Klein’s performance in semi final 2 on Thursday evening. In response to the decision, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS issued a strongly worded statement, in which they condemned the EBU’s decision to disqualify Joost Klein.
In the weeks that followed on from the 2024 contest, investigations and interrogations into the Joost Klein incident continued, and on Monday 15th July 2024, A spokeswoman for the national prosecutor’s office announced that the interrogations had been completed, and that the reports would be sent to Sweden that week. Prior to this, just one week after the grand final of Eurovision 2024, Joost Klein’s lawyer came forward and firmly denied any allegations against him, and SVT reported that Joost Klein’s attorney had stated that the artist unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.
On July 9th, AVROTROS released a new statement regarding not only the Joost Klein incident, but also the ongoing situations surrounding the 2024 contest. Fast forward to August and AVROTROS confirm they will not be pursuing legal action regarding Joost Klein’s disqualification, as legal action would not be in the best interest of either the organisation or Joost Klein. At the same time, Joost himself said he was considering to take legal action against the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest, arguing that his disqualification was unwarranted and damaging to his reputation.
At the beginning of September, the photographer involved in the Joost Klein case decided not to appeal the decision and to close the investigation, despite initially accusing Joost of making a threatening gesture towards her during a pre-show event. At the same time, the Swedish Prosecutor’s Office concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove any malicious intent, or that Joost Klein’s gesture could cause serious harm.
What are thoughts on all of this? Do you think The Netherlands will or won’t participate in Eurovision 2025? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
