It seems that in Iceland it is seen by 98.7% of the population (2023 data) and also in Italy, after a period in which it was little followed, the Eurovision Song Contest has started to reap successes. The first semi-final was on Tuesday, the second will be tonight and the final on the 11th (information here). Sometimes on stage, on other occasions before and after the event, Eurovision is often a symbolic battleground between countries, in other cases it has been the scene of small scandals and major controversies. Here is a small sampling of controversies.
The hand of the Generalissimo
1968
In 1968 there is a favorite: the Englishman Cliff Richard with his Congratulations. We are in London, it seems done and instead the Spanish Massiel wins with La, la, la. The victory raises a (quite) bit of suspicion. The truth comes out after 40 years: thanks to the Spanish journalist Montse Fernández Vila (and the documentary I lived the Spanish Mayan) it turns out that the dictator Francisco Franco had bought the votes of many jurors. In 1969 Austria withdrew from the competition as a gesture of protest against Franco's Spain.
A 'Yes' to Eurovision, a no to divorce
1974
In 1974 Gigliola Cinquetti, already winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 10 years earlier with I'm not old enoughpresents itself with Yes while in Italy a dispute is being fought over the referendum to repeal the 1970 law on divorce. According to some, that Yes broadcast in millions of homes and TVs could have influenced the vote. Moral of the story? Here the competition is broadcast a month later, many Italians still see it on Swiss TV and in Koper.
I'm not (really) old enough
1986
Belgian teen idol Sandra Kim wins in 1986 with J'aime la vie. She claims to be 15 years old, just above the minimum age limit, but instead she is only 13. Switzerland, which came second, appeals unsuccessfully. Kim is therefore the youngest winner ever in the history of the event and she will remain so: since then the minimum age to participate has been raised to 16 years.
The first trans winner
1998
In 1998 the Israeli Dana International with Diva she is the first transgender winner. There are, of course, several protests, such as the one from the more radical fringes of the British Jewish community (that year the ESC was held in Birmingham). In 2007 the Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka caused a scandal, boycotted both by national radio and by the protests of a handful of parliamentarians, in 2014 the travesti artist Conchita Wurst won with Rise Like a Phoenix.
Can a kiss ever cause a scandal? Apparently yes. Finnish Krista Siegfrids, competing in 2013 with Marry Me, gave the first Sapphic kiss of the event. It is the artist's protest, dressed as a bride, against the ban on gay weddings in Finland. The following year the law for gay marriage and adoption was approved. Siegfrids' kiss is not the only remaining kiss in the history of the singing event: in 1957 the Danes Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler performed a cheesy duet, complete with a kiss lasting 11 seconds.
After the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is excluded from Eurovision. «The decision takes into account concerns that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, Russia's participation could discredit the event. Before making this decision, the EBU took time to consult its members.” The Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra wins with Stefania.
The controversy of 2024 can only be about the October 7 massacre and the war in Gaza. After various requests to exclude the Israeli Eden Golan, the lyrics of her song were changed, from October Rain becomes Hurricane because in the previous version it evokes the events of October. The European Broadcast Union bans the display of Palestinian flags. At a press conference, Irish contestant Bambie Thug says EBU asked her to change pro-Palestinian signs on her face and legs during the performance. According to the organizers, “the writing on Bambie Thug's body during the dress rehearsal violated contest rules designed to preserve the non-political nature of the event.”
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM