Defiantly, this year’s Eurovision Song Contest attempted – or rather its organizers attempted – to ignore the barrage of international political controversy that came with, with its corresponding emotions, having Israel, a country embroiled in an unequal war in which its military power is causing massacres of Palestinian civilians.
The stubbornness of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to defend the apolitical nature of the festival, denying the evidence, and at the same time admitting Israel in the current situation as if it were not the main protagonist of a bloody war conflict, has irritated many followers. of the veteran competition of European public and associated television stations.
The festival has always had legions of detractors, but it was for aesthetic and musical reasons; now their hostility has been assured for more compelling reasons, as well as that of many people horrified at the destruction of Palestine.
As in a metaphorical miracle of the interwars of the 20th century, neutral Switzerland saved the situation thanks to a song (The code) and a performer (Nemo) too excellent and deserving of the award for its victory to be considered controversial. The majority of national juries clung to Switzerland as a lifeline, raining down batteries of ‘douze points’ on Nemo, while the audience’s televoting revealed more varied drives.
When the popular verdict was incorporated, the Hurricane sung by the Israeli Eden Golan became the leader of the table, although for a very short time. It was immediately clear that the winner was in continental Europe: the Croatian Baby Lasagna or the Swiss Nemo? The code beat Rim Tim Tagi Dim, despite the fact that bets indicated Croatia as the leader.
In the subsequent press conference, the happy Swiss winner ventured to say that perhaps Eurovision could improve. The EBU, of course, has not managed the best edition of the festival this year, and not only because of politicization. His unprecedented decision to disqualify a contestant for the final, the representative of the Netherlands, Joost Klein, due to a complaint of inappropriate behavior filed by a production team worker, was not received with acquiescence by the Eurofan community, given the boos that Eurovision executive supervisor Martin Österdahl received during the gala.
Österdahl, accustomed to the friendly treatment of the public in broadcasts, when he appears on the platform as a friendly notary to confirm that everything is ready at the festival or to attest that the vote count is correct, he looked disoriented and perplexed to the disapproval that came from the stands. All in all, sending next year’s festival to Switzerland will surely have been a relief for Österdahl and for the EBU in general, which will have to follow Nemo’s advice and try to improve.
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