Last week an open letter signed by 140 artists called for a boycott of Eurovision 2019 in Israel. Needless to say, it has caused quite a stir. And today the first Eurovision national broadcaster has responded.

The reaction comes from Denmark’s DR, which has released a statement underlining that Denmark has no intention of pulling out of the 2019 edition of Eurovision despite the recent turmoil.

Head of Entertainment at DR Jan Lagermand Lundme said that the competition is about music and not political conflict and dispute and that Denmark will be participating no matter what.

“Eurovision is about uniting Europe and that’s why we are in it”, he told DR’s Grand Prix page. “We are in it no matter what country might be hosting”.

Jan Lagermand Lundme also mentioned the importance of remembering the core values that surround Eurovision “because the values that are inherent in this competition are that we gather around something that is non-political – music”.

DR may influence other broadcasters

DR’s statement could turn out to be more important than just explaining Denmark’s views. Jan Lagermand Lundme is part of the powerful and prestigious Eurovision Reference Group which is the executive committee acting on behalf of all national broadcasters in Eurovision and which oversees the running of the contest.

The fact that Jan Lagermand Lundme and DR have rejected the boycott and stressed the importance of the non-political aspects of the competition could maybe make other broadcasters follow in Denmark’s footsteps. Time will tell as we wait for the EBU and KAN to reach an agreement about which city should host next year’s competition.

What do you think about Denmark’s announcement? Should politics be allowed to influence Eurovision? Leave your comments in the box below.