LONDON (AP) — Ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second year over Israel’s participation, the country’s national broadcaster said Thursday.
RTÉ said it will not send an act to the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and will not broadcast the show because of the “appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."
Ireland was one of five countries — along with the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain — to skip Eurovision this year to protest Israel’s inclusion in the pan-continental music contest.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said organizers regretted RTÉ’s decision but “fully respect” it.
“All broadcasters decide on an annual basis to participate in the following year’s contest. We will remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future,” Green said.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced last month it will also boycott next year, calling Eurovision a “platform for division.”
“AVROTROS will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 because the event can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict,” it said.
Next year’s competition is due to take place in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Burgas in May, after Bulgarian singer Dara won the 2026 event with her infectious party anthem “Bangaranga.”
The contest was founded in 1956, in part to help unite a shattered continent after World War II. It pits acts from dozens of countries against one another for the continent’s musical crown.
Israel has taken part in Eurovision since 1973, one of a few non-European countries to compete. But calls for Israel to be kicked out have swelled over the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza.
The 2024 Eurovision contest in Malmo, Sweden, the 2025 in Basel, Switzerland and this year’s contest in Vienna saw pro-Palestinian protests and heightened security.
FILE - An Eurovision flag flies at the port of Burgas, on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, which will host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, File)
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that allowing Canada to become an associate EU member could be a “hostile act."
Trump’s comments raised the stakes for Carney’s speech, which will be watched for signs the prime minister may deliver another broadside like his Davos address in January, when he warned that great powers like the United States can use economic dependence to bully smaller ones.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member on Wednesday, a striking overture as Trump’s threats drive Ottawa closer to Europe.
Speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump threatened to respond to the proposed move by imposing more tariffs on the bloc.
Trump conditioned his latest threat on the “intention” of European leaders, saying that, “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.” He also suggested the U.S. could cut off trade with Europe in certain areas.
Trump called the prospect of Canada joining the EU “laughable” and called America’s neighbor a “terrible trade partner.”
For generations, Canada built its economy around integration with the United States. Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state are now driving Ottawa to reduce that dependence and seek a deeper economic, security and political relationship across the Atlantic.
Von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member — a status that does not currently exist in the bloc’s treaties and would have to be created. She said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to “the highest level possible.”
Carney, sitting in the front row of the European Parliament chamber, nodded and rose to embrace von der Leyen as lawmakers gave the proposal a standing ovation.
This time, Europe is offering Canada another path.
Von der Leyen said Canada and the EU should move beyond their existing free trade agreement and create an “Alliance for the Future” encompassing a “common prosperity and economic security space.”
Carney will host EU leaders for a Canada-EU summit in Montreal on Oct. 29-30, where the two sides are expected to discuss the proposed new relationship in more detail.
Canada sends roughly 70% of its exports to the United States, making it highly exposed to Trump’s tariffs. Ottawa has retaliated and rejected demands Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty. Europe took a different path, shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15% on most EU exports to the U.S.
Carney has repeatedly urged middle powers to resist that kind of economic coercion. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he warned that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, “we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered.”
Trump rebuked him the next day, and Thursday’s speech could further strain the relationship.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, said Wednesday that Canada is not seeking full EU membership because that would require surrendering some sovereignty. Instead, Ottawa wants “to get as close as we possibly can” to Europe while increasing Canada’s independence.
Exactly what associate membership would mean remains to be negotiated.
Canada has already taken a major step toward European integration. This year it became the first non-European country to join the EU’s 150-billion-euro ($173-billion) SAFE defense procurement program, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe increases defense spending.
The two sides have also discussed closer cooperation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.
“The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong U.S. leadership and to act accordingly,” said Daniel Béland, a political-science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said Carney’s handling of Trump has heightened European interest in the Canadian leader.
“Carney’s shrewdness in dealing with Trump has captured Europe’s attention,” Wiseman said.
Wiseman said Europeans have long regarded Canada as a country that understands the United States particularly well because of their deep economic and political ties. Carney’s willingness to resist Trump rather than quickly accept Washington’s demands has reinforced that perception, he said.
Béland said Carney may avoid naming Trump on Thursday while leaving little doubt about the target of his broader argument.
“He knows that, beyond Europe, the world will be watching, including the White House,” Béland said.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech during a formal sitting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Sept 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney smiles during a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Sept 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, arrives to deliver a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Sept 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech during a formal sitting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Sept 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech during a formal sitting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Thursday, Sept 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney departs Strasbourg, France, en route to Liverpool, England, where he will meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, France, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
