The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed in a statement posted on their website on October 23 that the Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest next year, after receiving extended time from the EBU to make a decision. The broadcaster cited safeguarding measures taken by the EBU as a determining factor in the decision:
“AVROTROS, together with other countries, has pushed for structural changes in front of and behind the scenes of the Eurovision Song Contest during and immediately after the edition in Malmö. The broadcaster is satisfied with the package of measures that is now in place and looks positively to the future.”
These measures include “severely reducing behind-the-scenes filming” and “a ‘safe space’ for artists behind the scenes where they will not be disturbed.”
The announcement follows months of speculation that the Netherlands might decline to return in 2025 due to the the last-minute disqualification of the 2024 Dutch contestant Joost Klein. Klein released a statement today on his Instagram broadcast channel, confirming that while he had considered participating next year, he has decided not to return:
“My team and I had everything ready, but it just doesn’t feel good…For months I had this feeling that I needed to make a return to finish the job. But in reality: we reached a higher goal. Europapa united a lot of people…I’m grateful.”
With Klein choosing not to participate again, AVROTROS has announced that registration is open until November 22 for Dutch artists to submit entries for Eurovision 2025.
Klein was barred from performing in the Grand Final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest after an alleged backstage altercation with a camerawoman, for which Klein was criminally charged. The charges were dropped by Swedish authorities in August 2024, following an investigation that determined there was insufficient evidence to prove Klein was guilty of threatening behavior.
Klein had previously hinted at a possible 2025 return, stating “Eurovision 2025” in his Instagram and TikTok profiles. His Instagram broadcast channel, formerly called “Eurovision 2025,” has been renamed to “Unity.”
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Source | AVROTROS
