And the twelve points go to…

By Taufeeq Nihal Khan.

Before the European Union became an idea, and even before the signing of the Treaty of Rome to establish the European Economic Community, the Eurovision Song Contest was already a thing. The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in 1956 and saw seven nations compete (the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Italy) as part of a technical experiment in television broadcasting led by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in an effort to increase viewings and public engagement [1]. 

Since then, the number of participating nations, the audience tuning in, and the resources countries invest to host the event have grown considerably. As a result, many artists, such as ABBA, Celine Dion, and Julio Iglesias, have been able to launch their careers after participating in the contest. However, creating celebrities is far from being Eurovision’s only contribution.

While on paper the contest is an apolitical event, nations have always leveraged it as a tool of cultural diplomacy. For instance, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the entrants from the Eastern Bloc started using the contest as a platform to promote their Western credentials and to push for the expansion of the European Union eastwards [2]. Furthermore, participating countries regularly engage in what has been denominated “block voting,” when a nation’s public and jury cast their votes in a biased way (either deliberately or unconsciously), favoring their friends and neighbours. One of the most well-known examples of block voting occurs between Greece and Cyprus, as the two countries constantly support each other’s candidates [3]. This phenomenon extends beyond the contest and impacts countries’ political and economic relationships. In fact, an economic study conducted in 2012 revealed that “the results of the European Song Contest are a robust predictor of bilateral trade” [4].

Other examples of the political implications of Eurovision have occurred in recent years. In 2022, Russia was expelled from the competition by the EBU as a result of its invasion of Ukraine earlier the same year. That year’s contest, held in Turin, also saw Ukraine crowned as the winner, thanks to unprecedented support from the popular vote cast by the European public [5]. After the victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude through social media and urged countries to continue supporting Ukraine [6]. Traditionally, this meant that Ukraine would host next year’s event, but due to the ongoing conflict, it was decided that the United Kingdom runner-up would host it in their name. The 2023 Eurovision Contest saw the creation of the official motto, “United by Music” to “demonstrate the unique partnership between the United Kingdom and Ukraine” and “reflect the power of music to bring people together across the world” [7].

The most recent edition, the 2024 Eurovision Contest, did not go without controversies and political stances either. Before the contest began, the public started to demand a boycott of Israel. [8]. While the EBU decided not to exclude Israel from competing, it did ask the country to modify the lyrics of its original song, “October Rain” as they were widely understood to reference the Hamas attack on October 7th (9). Many people considered this hypocritical, and continued pressuring the Israeli contestant during the event. For instance, several videos were shared through social media, and audience members could be heard booing the Israeli singer. A former Swedish contestant wore a keffiyeh during the event, and Ireland’s contestant was ordered to remove political gestures from her outfit, which said she had spelled “ceasefire” and “freedom for Palestine” [10]. Despite this opposition, Israel still received the second most votes from the public.

There is no doubt that the Eurovision Song Contest is intrinsically linked to the most current geopolitical circumstances. Despite the organisers’ efforts to appear apolitical, it is impossible for an event of this magnitude to remain completely neutral and impartial. Their hand is eventually “forced to choose a winner.”

Edited by Justine Peries.

Disclaimer: the views expressed in this article are solely the views of the author, and do not reflect the views of any institutional stances.

References

[1] European Broadcasting Union. “The Origins of Eurovision.” https://eurovision.tv/history/origins-of-eurovision. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[2] Talmazan, Yuliya. “From humble origins to glamorous extravaganza: A history of the Eurovision Song Contest.” NBC News, 7 May 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/eurovision-song-contest-history-controversy-russia-ukraine-israel-rcna149490. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[3] Aspinall, Evie. “Eurovision: Glitz, Glamour and Geopolitics.” British Foreign Policy Group, 13 May 2023, https://bfpg.co.uk/2023/05/geopolitics-eurovision/. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[4] Kokko, Ari, and Patrik Gustavsson. “The Eurovision Song Contest, Preferences and European Trade.” Ratio: Näringslivets forskningsinstitut, 2012, https://hdl.handle.net/10398/90ee5df5-3f2b-45bf-9a7b-bd723b6ae47a.

[5] Belam, Martin, and Monika Cvorak. “Ukraine wins 2022 Eurovision song contest as UK finishes second in Turin.” The Guardian, 15 May 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/15/ukraine-wins-2022-eurovision-song-contest-as-uk-finishes-second-in-turin. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[6] Nugent, Annabel. “UK to host Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.” The Independent, 25 July 2022, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eurovision-uk-2023-ukraine-b2130540.html. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[7] European Broadcasting Union. “’United By Music’ chosen as permanent Eurovision slogan.” Eurovision Song Contest, 14 November 2023, https://eurovision.tv/story/united-by-music-permanent-slogan. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[8] Little, Tom, et al. “Protesters in Eurovision host city call for boycott of Israel.” Reuters, 10 April 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/protesters-eurovision-host-city-call-boycott-israel-2024-04-10/. Accessed 29 May 2024. 

[9] Oltermann, Philip. “Israel qualifies for Eurovision song contest final despite protests.” The Guardian, 10 May 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/09/israel-qualifies-eurovision-song-contest-final-protests. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[10] Rackham, Annabel. “Eurovision 2024: Israel entrant Eden Golan booed at semi-final rehearsal.” BBC, 9 May 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjewg9enx27o. Accessed 29 May 2024.

[Cover Image] Photo by Zachary Smith licensed under Unsplash.