It’s about the songs, not the politics. That has been the message of the Eurovision Song Contest for years. Yet in practice it is almost impossible to keep politics out. Political statements and politically charged images often find their way to the stage or the green room, the past teaches.
British Eurovision connoisseur Paul Jordan has even been promoted on the subject. “As soon as the countries submit their entry, a Eurovision committee will check whether there is no politically charged message in the song,” he explains. According to him, the organization tries not to get burned by political issues. “Just look at the entry from Belarus, which was rejected twice this year.”
Tensions between countries
But political statements are not limited to the songs that are sung. Countries sometimes make political decisions themselves. In 1978, when Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest, the event was also broadcast in Jordan. But as it gradually became clear during the evening that Israel would win, the broadcast was interrupted. Viewers in Jordan thought Belgium had won. That country was at the top before the broadcast was discontinued.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have also often reached the stage in recent years. Two years after the annexation of Crimea, Ukraine won with the song in 2016 1944 from Jamala. The song is a personal account of her grandmother who was deported from Crimea by the Soviets under Stalin in World War II along with 400,000 other Crimean Tatars.
The 2016 Ukrainian Winning Number:
In 2009, when Russia hosted the event, there was a fuss about Georgia’s entry. That country had fought a brief war with the Russians a year before. The Georgian referred to that in the lyrics, with the phrase “We don’t wanna put in– which refers to Russian President Putin. The Eurovision Song Contest turned down the song and the Georgians decided not to participate in Moscow.
A live TV spectacle watched by millions of people worldwide is not always easy to direct. In this latitude, people who want to make a political statement can easily make their move. “Our cameramen and directors are aware of this and can switch quickly if something appears on TV that damages our apolitical character. There are protocols for this,” said a spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Still, according to him, it cannot always be prevented. “We have seen many flags waved in the past to convey a political message.”
According to the Eurovision Song Contest, the rules are clear and political statements are not tolerated. This is also discussed with the participants in advance. “Everyone who participates is aware of the rules and if something does happen that is not possible, sanctions may follow,” said a spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest.
According to British Song Contest expert Paul Jordan, the organization should not pay too much attention to it. “If something happens during a live broadcast, it is best to switch quickly and not think too much about it. It’s like streakers at sports matches. As soon as they know that they are almost out of the picture, they stop their actions. “
Nevertheless, the British connoisseur will pay extra attention to the live event in Rotterdam in the coming days. ” We saw in Tel Aviv in 2019 that the Icelanders waved Palestinian flags. Given the tensions now in the Middle East, I wonder if that will happen again. “