Eurovision: 70 years of geopolitics, patriotism, music and glitter

It’s been the crucible of euphony icons from ABBA to Celine Dion, a flashy symbol of European integration, the charged focal constituent for geopolitics and a stage for κοινωνικά change.

For 7 decades, the Eurovision Song Contest – which gathers performers from crossed Europe and further afield, selected by each country’s nationalist broadcasting work – has delighted and, astatine times, baffled spectators.

Now the yearly contention is gearing up for its 70th day successful Vienna aboriginal this period amid fears boycotts implicit Israel’s information mightiness derail the expected outpourings of nationalist pridefulness and abundance of glitter.

So what makes Eurovision so unique?

Geopolitical hotspot

The contention has been rocked this year by the withdrawal of respective European countries successful protestation implicit Israel’s information pursuing its war successful Gaza, with the planetary backlash hitting past year’s contention also.

But it was acold from the archetypal clip the contention had been deed by geopolitical tensions.

During the Cold War, the lack of Eastern Bloc countries reflected Europe’s division. Protests besides erupted successful the 1960s implicit the information of Spain under dictator General Francisco Franco, and Portugal under the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar.

The 1974 Turkish penetration of Cyprus prompted Greece to propulsion out, while tensions betwixt Georgia and Moscow and the struggle implicit the Nagorno-Karabakh portion betwixt Armenia and Azerbaijan person besides near their mark.

In 2022, Russia was excluded implicit its penetration of Ukraine. The Ukrainian contestant went connected to win.

Reuniting Europe

On the different hand, since the contention expanded to the eastbound portion of the continent successful the 2000s, Eurovision has served arsenic a catalyst for European integration, said University of Glasgow adept Paul Jordan.

Participating successful Eurovision has helped erstwhile Soviet republics such arsenic Estonia and Ukraine cultivate their images arsenic portion of Europe, helium added.

“Certainly for Ukraine, it was each astir showing themselves arsenic an autarkic Western, European country” while asserting absorption to Moscow, Jordan told AFP.

Galina Miazhevich from Cardiff University said that arsenic overmuch arsenic countries person used “some taste elements and connection elements to benignant of declare: this is who we are”, there has besides been a melding of influences, with plentifulness of bilingual songs and homogenisation.

Moderator Austrian vocalist Cesar Sampson holds a gully for Greece during the gully league for the two semi-final events of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Photo: Georg Hochmuth/APA/AFP

Social level

In 1961, Jean–Claude Pascal won with “Nous les amoureux” (“We the Lovers”), a τραγούδι astir a forbidden emotion that was aboriginal interpreted arsenic an allusion to homosexuality.

The contention then became an ever much progressive stage, notably with the victory of transgender vocalist Dana International for Israel successful 1998.

In 2015, Finland nominated Pertti Kurikan Nimipaivat, a punk set of musicians with disabilities.

In 2021, Suriname-born creator Jeangu Macrooy addressed slavery, racism, and the assemblage bequest successful his performance.

That aforesaid year, Russia’s Manizha performed a τραγούδι astir the pressures faced by women and women’s emancipation, which stirred contention successful her location country.

Hit mill

Ever since the Swedish set ABBA roseate to planetary fame aft their victory successful 1974, Eurovision has helped galore stars, including Celine Dion and Italy’s Maneskin, execute stardom.

Following the emergence of κοινωνικά media, singers and bands bash not adjacent person to win to marque an planetary splash.

Armenia’s Rosa Linn, who finished 20th successful 2022, saw her τραγούδι “Snap” spell viral connected Instagram and TikTok earlier scoring connected planetary charts.

Cultural touchstone

Eurovision’s vast archives rack up millions of views connected YouTube, with performances that person go entrenched successful fashionable culture.

Its fame has besides expanded well beyond the world of euphony – adjacent breaching the United States, with the Will Ferrell-led 2020 drama “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”.

It was not ever so.

The amusement was “not cool” successful the 1980s and 1990s and was dismissed arsenic unappreciated kitsch successful the West when eastbound European countries joined, Jordan said.

The turn came successful 2014, with the highly publicised victory of Austrian bearded resistance queen Conchita Wurst, Jordan added.

Even though some performances still permission audiences baffled arsenic too vulgar, oregon with humour that is too niche, the amusement caters to a wide variety of tastes – from popular to opera, stone to rap, people to chanson.

And adjacent those who bash not similar Eurovision person an sentiment connected it, said Jordan.

“It’s a benignant of taste notation constituent that everyone has,” helium said.

“We’re increasing up with this television show. And I think there’s possibly this nostalgia successful a way that there isn’t for different things.”

Source: Agence France-Presse