The Eurovision Song Contest continues to spark unprecedented controversy days after the winner was crowned, with the 27-nation European Union (EU) banning national flags from concert halls during the final on Monday. He slammed the organizers for saying that the event was “incoherent.”
In an unusually sharp letter to the Swiss-based European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said the ban “undermines the credibility of a symbol that unites all Europeans. He said that it could lead to “injury to people.”
Israeli Eurovision contestant Eden Golan is surrounded by boos, applause and tight security ahead of the final.
The European Commission said it was planning a “very lively discussion” with organizers over the ban in a competition already fraught with controversy. Although the 27-nation European Union did not compete in that way, many of its member states did, and the star-studded blue flag is often seen as uniting all involved.
Nemo, representing Switzerland, won the final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest held on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, with the song “The Code”. (Jessica Go/TT News Agency, via AP)
“These actions cast a shadow on what should have been a joyous occasion for people from Europe and the world to come together in celebration,” Schinas wrote.
The flag has been displayed at countless events and in EU countries, flying alongside the national colours, from small city halls to huge government buildings.
Schinas was particularly scathing about the ban, which came just a month before EU-wide parliamentary elections. The EU as an institution has been the subject of intense debate in EU-wide parliamentary elections and is frequently attacked by extremist parties.
“The inconsistency of the EBU’s position has left myself and millions of viewers wondering what and who the Eurovision Song Contest is for,” the letter said. has been written.
Organizers were already reeling from the controversial disqualification of a Dutch contestant during the week-long contest over an incident that was not fully explained, as well as protests related to the Gaza war and Israel’s participation in the competition. .
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Ahead of the final, a European Broadcasting Union spokesperson said ticket holders were only allowed to bring and display flags representing the participating countries and the rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. Ta.
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap song about the singer’s journey to coming to terms with her non-gender identity.
