Eurovision Sets Up First-Ever Live Televised EU Commission Presidential Debate

GENEVA: Eurovision is set to make broadcast history with the first-ever live televised debate between the European Commission presidential nominees.

The Eurovision debate will bring the nominees face to face and broadcast the action on TV and online. Between five and seven presidential hopefuls are expected to participate. The debate will take place inside the European Parliament plenary chamber in Brussels, and will be followed by a Q&A with the candidates. It will be filmed in front of a live audience, and will be moderated and presented in English by veteran Italian journalist and TV presenter Monica Maggioni.

Ingrid Deltenre, EBU's director general, said: "A principal role of public service broadcasting is to bring audiences relevant, impartial current affairs programming, and it is the EBU's job to help our members to do this."

She added: "In this year of European political change, viewers need more than ever to know about the people at the top and what they stand for. Public service media play a pivotal role in creating an informed public, and the Eurovision Debate is an innovative way of achieving that on a pan-European scale."