Eurovision Ban
That could annoy Putin more than many think: Russia is not allowed to take part in the ESC in 2022
Acclaimed performance in front of old men: Polina Gagarina sings at the group draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
© Tatyana Zenkovich/DPA
That could annoy Putin more than many think: Russia will be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
It’s almost exactly 13 years since Vladimir Putin personally inspected the Olympic Arena in Moscow. The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) took place there in May 2099, a prestigious event and a top priority for the head of the Kremlin. For years Russia had been working towards winning the competition, a year earlier Dima Bilan finally did. Now the show should be used as a big stage in their own country. Russia has been keen to abuse the competition for its own propaganda in recent years. At least that’s the end of it for this year.
The European Broadcasting Corporation (EBU), organizer of the ESC, announced in the afternoon that Russia would be excluded from this year’s competition. “The decision reflects concern that in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, Russia’s participation this year would bring the competition into disrepute,” writes the EBU in its statement. The decision was made after consultation with the member states. With regard to other members such as Belarus, the organization avoids the term war and emphasizes that the competition is non-political.
Russia used the ESC for propaganda
But a singing competition held in Europe by both friendly and hostile states (such as Armenia and Azerbaijan) naturally has political components. In 2015, one year after the annexation of Crimea, Russia sent a peace anthem to the ESC after an internal selection. The singer Dina Garipowa, true to the system, sang “A Million Voices” in Vienna and sang about “praying for peace and healing”. A propaganda with the blessing of Putin. For many Ukrainians, that sounded like pure mockery. That will not happen again, at least on May 14th in Turin.
However, the EBU has not excluded Russia, but is only refusing the country participation for this year. The organization emphasizes that music should unite people. “A little peace” sang Nicole in 1982 for Germany and became first. Europe could use that at the moment.