Eurovision banned the EU flag from the song contest. The EU is demanding to know why

BRUSSELS — The European Union executive said on Monday it will demand explanations from the organizers of the Eurovision song contest why their flag was banned from the concert hall during the final.

In a race already rife with controversy, the European Commission said it plans “a very lively discussion” with organizers over the ban. Although the 27-nation EU did not compete as such, many of its member states did, and the star-studded blue flag is often seen as a unifier for all involved.

EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said he had “no information from the organizers at this time about the motivation for rejecting the European flag during the event,” but the ban clearly angered the EU vice president enough, Margaritis Schinas, to hold talks with the Swiss government. European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the competition.

“We certainly encourage the EBU to understand that this is a mistake,” Mamer said.

During the week-long contest, organizers were already concerned about protests related to the war in Gaza and the controversial disqualification of the Dutch participant for an incident that was never fully explained.

Before the final, a spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union which runs the program said that ticket holders can only bring and display flags representing the participating countries, as well as the rainbow flag, which is a symbol of LGBTQ+ communities.

Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward adopting a genderless identity.