Germany Watches the EBU Like a Cornered Animal — Israel’s ESC Fate Could Drag Berlin Into the Fire

As the EBU General Assembly finally arrives this week, the global attention is glued to the same question that has poisoned Eurovision headlines for months: will Israel be allowed to compete in Vienna 2026?
But behind the noise, another crisis is quietly brewing. One that could alter the entire fabric of next year’s Contest: Germany’s participation is no longer guaranteed.

While the drama has centred on the tug-of-war between broadcasters threatening boycotts, political outrage, and an EBU desperately clinging to “neutrality”, another reality is emerging in Berlin: the ARD is under unprecedented political pressure, and its commitment to Eurovision stands on the thinnest ice the Contest has seen in decades.

Political heat builds — and Germany feels the burn

Over the past weeks, the debate spilled far beyond fan circles and media commentary. Senior politicians have now stepped into the ring, escalating the stakes.
Kulturstaatsminister Wolfram Weimer, usually silent on Eurovision matters, issued a dramatic defence of Israel’s presence:

“If Europe starts dictating who gets to appear on its stages, this is the end of cultural freedom. Precisely for this reason, Israel must remain part of Eurovision.”

A declaration like this—wrapped in the language of cultural liberty but charged with unmistakable political urgency—puts the ARD under immense pressure.
Because if Israel is expelled this week, the very same voices demanding its inclusion will likely call for Germany to walk out in protest.

And the ARD, for all its institutional independence on paper, is not immune to political winds.

Inside the ARD: silence, paralysis and no commitment to 2026

For months, Germany has avoided making any public statement confirming its ESC participation, a silence that now reads less like caution and more like strategy.

The machinery of the German selection has been frozen. Plans for a national final? Suspended. Any public enthusiasm from the NDR or BR? Non-existent.
Instead, the ARD has pushed the SWR to the front—an odd move, given that SWR has no real decision-making power regarding participation.

Several ARD staff members, speaking privately, describe the mood as “utter uncertainty”.
One insider put it even more bluntly:

“The ARD is staring at the EBU like a rabbit staring at a snake.”

Waiting.
Watching.
Terrified of making the wrong move.

Two decisions, one outcome: Germany’s ESC future is tied to Israel’s

This week’s General Assembly will determine not just whether Israel competes, but also whether Germany stays.

If Israel is allowed in, Germany will face public outrage from parts of its own political landscape.
If Israel is expelled, Germany may face the opposite pressure: accusations of abandoning cultural freedom, bowing to boycotts, or allowing politics to rule Eurovision.

Either way, the ARD’s margin for manoeuvre shrinks by the hour.

A historic crossroads for German Eurovision history

Next year would mark 70 years of German participation—a continuous presence unmatched by most nations.
But for the first time ever, Berlin is openly contemplating a voluntary withdrawal.

No one inside the ARD is willing to predict what will happen.
No one is willing to promise Germany will be in Vienna next May.
And no one disputes that Thursday and Friday’s meeting will define the path ahead.

The Contest’s future for both Israel and Germany will be carved out in the same room, during the same vote, under the same suffocating spotlight.

The outcome?
Completely open.

Source: Reuters