Liechtenstein: Not much hope for a debut in the contest!

Voters in Liechtenstein voted in favour of privatising Radio Liechtenstein, ending hopes of a possible debut in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The initiative by the Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) to repeal the law governing the country’s public broadcaster was approved with 55.4% of the vote and a turnout of 59.3%. The law will take effect on December 31, 2025, making Liechtenstein the only country in Europe without a national broadcaster.

Radio Liechtenstein has received about 70% of public media funding annually, totaling around 4 million CHF. The Liechtenstein government urged voters to reject the initiative, expressing concerns that it could lead to the end of radio broadcasts in the country. Questions have also been raised about how a private broadcaster can operate with an audience of only 40,000 residents.

The privatization means that Radio Liechtenstein will no longer meet the membership criteria of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). In June 2024, the broadcaster began exploring the possibility of joining the EBU, in the hopes of Liechtenstein debuting in the competition.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: Εurovoix