Editor's note: lewis staples Culture writer and editor based in London. His work has appeared in Slate, Vogue, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wired, and more. The views expressed here are his own. Read more opinions on CNN.
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The Eurovision Song Contest is a glitzy, quirky show that rivals the Super Bowl in terms of attracting audiences. We showcase the best (and often weird) music the entire continent of Europe has to offer. Past winners include ABBA and Celine Dion. But this year's contest, won by Switzerland in the Swedish coastal city of Malmö, has become the center of deep political divisions over the inclusion of Israel amid the ongoing war between the government and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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A fan boycott campaign preceded the contest, with thousands of people protesting on the streets of Malmö, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Security was stepped up, helicopters flew overhead and particularly tight security was placed around the Israeli delegation's hotel.
During Saturday's grand final, Israel's Eden Golan performed an emotional ballad to a mix of cheers and loud boos. Some fans turned their backs on him. However, despite this, Israel ultimately received 323 points in the public vote, coming in a close second place behind Croatian participant Baby Lasagna.
Combined with the jury votes, Israel's impressive public vote tally saw Golan finish fifth overall. Such bitter divisions, and the response of the contest's organizer, the European Broadcasting Union, have shattered Eurovision's pretense of being an apolitical contest.
The story of Eurovision 2024 is one of a divided Europe. For many fans, the contest's long-standing claim to so-called political neutrality, its claim to the metaphorical role of Switzerland, is no longer convincing or possible.
If the EBU does not stand up to it, further crises seem likely.When Swiss winner Nemo lifted (then by chance Dropped) won and received the trophy, but it was a chaotic ending befitting a contest dominated by political polarization and suffering as a result.
The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Switzerland in 1956. It has been held every year except for 2020, when the event was canceled due to the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The original premise was based on uniting Europe around a common European identity after World War II. And over the years, distant countries such as Turkey, Israel, and Russia were also incorporated into this vision.
Politics and political tensions are always lurking beneath the surface of the contest. Portugal's 1974 release of “E Depois do Adeus'' became a rallying cry for political revolution in the country, ultimately leading to democracy. When Turkey joined Eurovision in 1975, Greece also withdrew. (Turkey had invaded Cyprus the year before.) In 2009, the voting system was changed from a popular vote only to a jury vote system after complaints that political voting gave an unfair advantage to “Eastern Bloc countries.” Updated to include.
Nevertheless, the EBU has always maintained that Eurovision is not a political competition between governments, but an apolitical musical competition between broadcasters. Lyrics and performances are carefully scrutinized to ensure political references are kept to a minimum.
This year, the EBU warned Israel that Golan's song “Hurricane” (originally titled “October Rains”) is believed to be a thinly veiled reference to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. He instructed them to change the lyrics of the song. In February, Israeli President Isaac Herzog publicly intervened to stress the importance of agreeing to change the lyrics to allow Israel to compete this year.
This high degree of political intervention suggests that Eurovision is in fact highly political. Nowhere was this more evident than with Russia's entry ban in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. The following year, the contest was held in Liverpool, England, representing Ukraine. (Typically, the winner of each contest hosts the following year, but Ukraine was unable to host for security reasons.) The 2023 contest in Liverpool will be based on Liverpool's slogan “United By Music” The more it was adopted, the more it was a moving display of unity. Approved by Eurovision for all future contests.
On the streets of Malmö, there is a noticeable divide between protesters and Eurovision participants. Almost every participant I spoke to at Thursday's demonstration mentioned the “hypocrisy” of Russia being banned while Israel is still allowed to compete. Palestinian flags fly from windows and are posted on streetlights and storefronts. Many of the Eurovision posters have been defaced, and makeshift posters describing Eurovision as a “genocide song contest” have been put up around the city.
On Saturday, there was little sense that Eurovision was “united by music”. Some fans boycotted, while others mobilized to vote for Israel online. Israel's strong performance in the telephone voting, which included the highest number of votes from 14 countries including Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, even surpassing Ukraine's 307 votes, was a sign of the strong opposition that dominated Israel. This is in stark contrast to calls for boycotts and protests. Run-up to the contest.
The large difference between this number and Israel's total jury vote (just 52 points) suggests that the vote was motivated by political factors. (Just like in 2022 when Ukraine won the popular vote by a landslide, earning her a record-breaking 439 televoting points).
Throughout this year's contest, many fans felt that the EBU did not adequately explain the difference in decision-making between banning Russia and allowing Israel to compete. (The EBU said in a statement that it understood the “concerns” of some fans, but also said “comparisons between war and conflict are complex and difficult.”) Other appearances during the competition week Dissatisfaction and frustration were evident among the participants. Music was overshadowed. Irish artist Bumby Thug said he cried on Thursday after Israel qualified for the final.
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On Saturday morning, Dutch entry Joost Klein was disqualified following a backstage “incident” allegedly involving a female EBU photographer, which is being investigated by Swedish police. The decision was criticized as “disproportionate” by Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS. Ahead of the announcement, there were rumors that another delegation was involved in the incident, which occurred after Thursday night's second semi-final, indicating just how tense the atmosphere was. There is.
During Saturday's final, loud boos could be heard inside the stadium whenever EBU executive supervisor Martin Österdaal appeared on screen, reflecting anger at his handling of various controversies in the contest. .
The precedent of Russia's ban from Eurovision changed the contest forever. And this year, the EBU felt the impact of that decision. Although they may claim otherwise, choosing to include a country in the midst of boycotts and accusations of war crimes that Israel denies is itself a political act.
