Eurovision bosses can’t tame the ‘political beast’ of the competition
Despite the rules, performers and audiences have been known to use the contest to make a political statement.
‘The special thing about Eurovision is that it’s the one night of the year where people, in theory, put aside their differences and share that stage.’
That’s what Paul Jordan, also known as ‘Doctor Eurovision’, tells Metro when asked about Eurovision’s non-political nature. Jordan is a lifelong fan and expert on the contest, having worked behind the scenes and served on international juries.
‘But it’s unrealistic to expect it to be seen as a non-political event. It’s important they try to keep it that way, but ultimately, politics comes into it,’ he adds.
This year is no different, with Israel’s inclusion in the competition proving to be highly controversial for the second year in a row, in light of the country’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
72 former contestants have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be banned, while the opening ceremony, held in host city Basel, was marred by pro-Palestine protests in which a throat-slitting gesture was made towards the Israeli Eurovision act, Yuval Raphael.
The 24-year-old is a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attacks, and it was later announced that she would not be giving interviews to the media due to security concerns.
