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06 Sept 2025

Taoiseach Simon Harris says Eurovision should not be 'geopolitical'

'Maybe I am old-fashioned, but maybe can we view a song contest as just that?'

Taoiseach Simon Harris says Eurovision should not be 'geopolitical'

Taoiseach Simon Harris has weighed in on his opinion of Ireland awarding Israel 10 points in the Eurovision. 

The Taoiseach's comments follow Ireland's entrant Bambie Thug's accusations that Israeli broadcaster KAN broke rules and said that they did not take part in dress rehearsal due to a 'situation' of 'incited violence'. 

"KAN, the broadcaster, incited violence against me twice, three times,” Bambie Thug said after the Eurovision final on Saturday night. The non-binary artist came sixth in the competition. 

Taoiseach Harris said how 'proud' he was of Bambie Thug in an interview this Monday morning, and how, in his opinion, the Eurovision should not concern itself with 'geopolitics'. 

"I didn't see the Eurovision final but, I am very proud of Bambie Thug. They did our country proud, they did Macroom proud and Co Cork proud and I really want to commend Bambie Thug for that performance. 

"Maybe I am old-fashioned, but maybe can we view a song contest as just that? This was the Eurovision song contest, they have a voting system in place and presumably people vote for the music - I'm not going to read too much, in terms of geopolitics, into it, although many others do."

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