The great festival of European music, the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, has begun with a memorable show. Three iconic figures of the festival, Chanel Terrero, Eleni Foureira and Eric Saade, have come together to start the first semi-final. This joint performance, which served to bring back the Spanish singer, has not been without controversy.
The Swede Eric Saade, known for his participation in 2011 and of Palestinian origin, took advantage of his performance with Popular to express his support for Palestine, whose historical conflict with Israel – which will participate in the Festival – has worsened in recent months.
At the beginning of his musical number, Saade showed off a kufiya on his wrist, a recognized symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity. This gesture was not a simple detail, but a clear political positioning in an event that has traditionally remained neutral with respect to geopolitical conflicts.
In fact, they had been warned before the start of Eurovision not to bring Palestinian flags or symbols to the Mälmo Arena, in addition to announcing very rigorous security controls. These measures sought to avoid the politicization of the event, which brings together participants from all over Europe and beyond.
The reaction was not long in coming. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organizer of the event, expressed its regret at the artist’s decision. “The Eurovision Song Contest is a live television show. “All performers are aware of the rules of the competition, and we regret that Eric Saade has decided to compromise the non-political nature of the event,” said an EBU spokeswoman. In fact, the official Eurovision accounts have not raised Saade’s performance.
However, the Swedish artist’s social networks have been filled with messages of support and affection for having openly expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people.
