Czech public television withdraws from Eurovision 2027 due to budget cuts

Czech public television announced on Tuesday that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision edition, citing budget cuts and uncertainty over the future funding of the public media service.

“We will not see the Czech flag on stage next year,” Czech television said on the X platform, adding that it hopes to return to the competition. Under Eurovision rules, a country’s representative may be selected only by a broadcaster that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union.

The decision comes after the coalition government led by billionaire Andrej Babiš proposed replacing viewer-paid fees with direct funding from the state budget and cutting subsidies for public television and radio. The Czech Parliament has not yet voted on the reform, but both institutions have announced restructuring measures and programming changes.

Critics, including Reporters Without Borders, warn that the changes could affect the independence of public media. In June, employees of Czech television and radio staged a symbolic strike against the proposal.

Czechia’s withdrawal adds to the pressure on the 2027 Eurovision edition. Ireland and Spain have already announced that they intend to boycott the contest because of Israel’s participation, amid the war in the Gaza Strip. At the 2026 edition, held in Vienna and won by Bulgarian singer Dara, Czech representative Daniel Žižka finished in 16th place.