Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, Bulgaria, saying the competition "can no longer be considered neutral" while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict and citing the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom. Avrotros said Eurovision organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, gave insufficient clarity about how they assess which countries may compete after the EBU updated rules to bar a country involved in an armed conflict from hosting if it wins. Taco Zimmerman, Avrotros director general, said the contest "has become a platform for division" and that the broadcaster was guided by its values. Martin Green, director of the contest, said the EBU regretted the decision but would continue dialogue with NPO, the umbrella organisation for Dutch public media, about whether another Dutch broadcaster could take part. The Netherlands already boycotted the 2026 contest in Vienna after Israel was allowed to compete, and five broadcasters announced a boycott following a failed attempt to suspend Israel last November. The EBU rule change also disqualifies winners from hosting if a "sensitive geopolitical situation" affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region. Avrotros said the rule changes do not restore confidence that Eurovision's independent and neutral character has been restored.
