President Zelensky has been blocked by the BBC and other international broadcasters from addressing the world at the Eurovision Song Contest.
A request by the Ukrainian leader to make a surprise video appearance during the final, in which he was expected to urge the global audience of 160 million to continue their support for his country in the face of Russian aggression, was turned down by event owners.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the alliance of more than 100 broadcasters which oversees the contest with the BBC acting as this year’s host, is concerned that an appearance by the president risks politicising the event.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation. As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event,” an EBU spokesman said.
“This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the contest. The request by Mr Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted as it would be against the rules of the event.”
The EBU highlighted the decision to ensure that Ukrainian music, culture and creativity featured strongly throughout the two semi-finals and the final. “No fewer than 11 Ukrainian artists, including last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra, will be performing,” the spokesman said.
Eurovision fans near the waterfront in Liverpool on Thursday. Ukrainian locations will feature in the short film “postcards” introducing each of the artists
“Additionally 37 locations around Ukraine will feature in the short film postcards that introduce each of the participating artists before they take to the stage. We believe that this is the best way to reflect and celebrate Ukraine’s Eurovision Song Contest win and show we are united by music during these hard times.”
It is not the first time that Zelensky has been barred from entertainment events. A request to speak at the Oscars in March was said to have been declined for the second consecutive year, in line with the Toronto Film Festival in September. Zelensky has previously been invited to address Davos 2022, the US Congress and parliament.
The move was disclosed by Sarah Sands of the British Council in a piece for Times Red Box. She wrote: “The request from Ukraine to show a video of President Zelensky at the final on Saturday was initially refused and remains under discussion.”
Lord Vaizey of Didcot, a former culture minister, said that Zelensky should be allowed to address Eurovision. “This is a joyful evening and a coming together of European nations and entertainers but we all know what the backdrop is and it is pathetic to hide away from it,” he said.
“The only reason the contest is being held here is because of the conflict in Ukraine and it would be courteous to allow Zelensky to make a statement about why Ukraine is in the very unfortunate position of not being able to host.”
His view was echoed by Baroness Stowell, chairwoman of the Lords communications and digital select committee and a former BBC policy chief. “It’s the wrong decision to deny him the opportunity to give a message on the basis that they don’t support political statements,” she said. “It’s not acceptable.”
However, a BBC insider highlighted the issue of giving a platform to the potentially problematic leaders of countries which can compete in the contest, including Israel and Middle Eastern nations.
“Clearly there is a huge amount of sympathy for Zelensky but I can understand the principle behind it. When it was held in Russia would we have wanted Putin given the opportunity to make a nice address?,” they said. “How would they juggle that?”
A second source added that “tricky and delicate” negotiations were still taking place.
https://embed.acast.com/35669120-6056-4c38-8f33-80df7112e8df/645ccf28eff3730011f67159?initialWidth=695&childId=iframe-container-932750552&parentTitle=Zelensky%20barred%20from%20addressing%20Eurovision%20millions&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.co.uk%2Farticle%2Fzelensky-eurovision-2023-speech-ukraine-kf3rn5m25
Zelensky has admitted that he would have preferred the contest to have been hosted in a country bordering Ukraine, such as Slovakia or Poland, so that his citizens could attend.
He told the BBC: “I have great respect for the United Kingdom and its society. It is an amazing country. From the very start my opinion has been that if we can’t host Eurovision then it should take place in one of the countries that share a border with us such as Slovakia, Poland or any other country our people can reach easily. Somewhere near by.”
According to other reports, he added: “The main thing is that the contest is taking place. Let the people show their talent.”
The UK’s entry Mae Muller prepares for Saturday’s final in rehearsals
Ukraine’s national broadcaster UA:PBC said in October that it was unable to host the 67th edition of the contest on safety grounds due to the Russian invasion. The BBC offered its support in July.
The event is being overseen by Martin Green, who previously worked on the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony alongside Danny Boyle.
A lifelong fan of the song contest, Green said he felt incredibly lucky and honoured to be running the event. “We will try to put a lot of emotion into it,” he said. “Sometimes that isn’t there and it becomes all about the spectacle, but given the context of us hosting on behalf of Ukraine it is important that there is emotion.”
Green was so passionate about the opportunity that he eschewed taking a break following an intense stint working on the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Unboxed festival, which took place across the UK.
He cited the music contest as having had an influential impact on him when he was growing up as a gay man. He said: “Like many a young lad figuring out who he was going to be, I used to watch Eurovision and was awestruck by the scale, madness and the fact that it showed me so many different sides of life.
“When the job came up I put my head and heart into getting it. It’s professional and personal. This one is a kids’ dream come true — from watching it on the telly to the whole thing being my party. It’s very emotional.”
His ambition is to extend the reach of the competition beyond its heartland and beat the nine million viewers who tuned in last year.
He believes there is an opportunity to capitalise on the home advantage from the UK hosting the event for the first time in in 25 years.
“I’m really keen that people who have not seen it dip their toe in. The show has changed so much over the years. If you like music you will like some of the songs — and sometimes it’s good not to like some too,” he said.
Source: The Times
Recent Comments