This year, the Netherlands was one of five countries to boycott the contest due to Israel's participation. But since broadcaster Avrotros decided to boycott the contest in 2027 as well, the NPO, which organises all the various Dutch public service companies, has taken over the role of organising the selection.
"We understand that participation in the Eurovision Song Contest raises mixed feelings in the Netherlands. We have explicitly asked the EBU to make an effort to make the unifying character of the festival an important part of the event," said Jet de Ranitz, chairman of the board of NPO, in a statement .
Next year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the Bulgarian city of Burgas between May 11 and 15.
