Styrian SPÖ is planning major investments and hopes for ESC 2026 in Graz!

Styrian SPÖ is planning major investments and hopes for ESC 2026 in Graz!

The Styrian SPÖ presented its plans for the second half of the year in Graz on Wednesday. The focus is on a clear focus on public investments to address the current crisis. The campaign's slogan is: “Performance, Prosperity, Security”. SPÖ leader Max Lercher pointed out the urgent need to invest our way out of the crisis and, as a central measure, to support an application for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026 in Graz.

Doris Kampus, the chairwoman of the SPÖ Graz, sees the ESC as a unique opportunity to gain prestige and attention for the city. As part of this project, an application to reserve budget funds for the expansion of the Liebenau stadium will be submitted at the next session of the state parliament. The aim is to ensure that this stadium can be operated independently by the Graz Bundesliga clubs.

Investments and infrastructure

A central point of the SPÖ agenda is the demand for a reorganization of European financial rules. These are intended to facilitate investments in infrastructure and critically examine possible savings in the 2026 budget. There is also a further focus on security policy issues, particularly online radicalization and economic espionage. Jörg Leichtfried, State Secretary of the SPÖ, is coming into focus as the person responsible for state security and intelligence in the Ministry of the Interior.

Applying for the ESC not only brings with it enormous prestige, but also opens up economic prospects. The Eurovision Song Contest rules, set by the European Broadcasting Union, enshrine strict guidelines that apply to all participating countries. In particular, the largest EBU donors, including Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain and Italy, have guaranteed starting places. These so-called “Big Five” are generally represented in the final, as is the defending champion.

Rules and voting procedures

The rules state that violations of these may result in the artist being disqualified. In the semi-finals, the participating countries have the right to vote, while in the final, every participating nation can vote, even if their artists were eliminated earlier. Fans from non-ESC countries can take part in the vote online for a fee, with the results being counted as “Rest of the World”. From 2024, voting for the Rest of the World begins one day before the final.

The voting procedures in the final are also detailed: Each country can award an artist up to 24 points, with 12 points being awarded by the jury and 12 by the audience. Political messages are prohibited at the event as the ESC is considered non-political. The length of the musical contributions is limited to three minutes and the performances may consist of a maximum of six people. The ESC, which is not only a musical spectacle but also serves to promote cooperation in Europe, offers plenty of scope for creative development.