Culture Minister Owen Bonnici has publicly deplored the Eurovision Broadcasting Unit's (EBU) censorship of Malta's Eurovision entry for 2025: Miriana Conte's "Kant." He also added that Maltese authorities are considering taking legal action against this decision.
Posting a message on social media, Minister Bonnici said that he has always abhorred artistic censorship and that the EBU's decision against Conte's winning song is a "textbook case" of this.
"This was a disproportionate and discriminatory measure against our Maltese language. The word "KANT" in our language is a beautiful and positive word and it never deserves to be censored," Minister Bonnici said.
Bonnici also announced that Maltese authorities are considering taking legal action against the EBU's decision via a Swiss Court on the basis of a violation of freedom of expression as well as a violation of the principle of non-discrimination in regard to the use of the Maltese language.
He stated that every measure to be taken will be done so as a protest against artistic censorship.
An internal appeal will be filed against the EBU's decision with respect to the Eurovision Festival's regulations, Bonnici also said.
The EBU had announced on Tuesday that Conte's song was to be censored. The EBU called for the Maltese word "kant" to be removed from the song in its entirety and for the song title to also be amended.
This news was broken by Conte through her social media platforms, who expressed her shock and disappointment that this gave her and her team less than a full week to make all the necessary amendments before their deadline to submit their official final entry. Conte promised her fans that "the show will go on" regardless.
Conte must submit Malta's final entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest by Monday, 10th March.
Minister Bonnici remarked that Malta will participate in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, and that missing the competition altogether is not an option that is to be considered as a solution.
He also declared his full faith in Conte, her team, and the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) for Malta to display a full showing in Basel this May.