Swiss conservative party seeks referendum against Eurovision contest

The Swiss Federal Democratic Union (EDU) is launching a referendum to prevent the Eurovision Song Contest from taking place in Basel from May 13 to 17, 2025. The party is collecting signatures to contest a loan granted by the Basel cantonal parliament. Daniel Frischknecht, president of the small, ultra-conservative EDU Switzerland, announced on Monday that the collection period had begun with the publication in the Basel-City cantonal gazette on Saturday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The EDU is confident that "with the help of many Basel residents", it will be able to bring about a referendum against the loan of CHF34.9 million ($41.3 million). This would allow the electorate of the canton of Basel-City to decide on the loan at the ballot box. + Eurovision Song Contest 2025 to be staged in Basel The loan was approved by the Basel cantonal parliament last Wednesday by 87 votes to 4, with 4 abstentions. The majority of all parliamentary groups were in ...