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Culture

10 times Eurovision turned political

It's that time of year again: Eurovision is upon us, but it isn't all about sequins and songs. Here are 10 times that politics trumped performance in the song contest.

  • Kalush Orchestra waving Ukrainian flags

    Russia and Crimea supporters excluded

    Russia's ban from the 2022 Eurovision was a consequence of its invasion of Ukraine. But even before that, politics also marred Ukraine's national selection this year. Alina Pash, who had first won the selection contest, was found to have traveled to Crimea from Russia in 2015 — breaking Ukraine's rules set in 2019. She pulled out, allowing runner-up Kalush Orchestra to represent the country.

  • Yulia Samoylova, a woman being pushed in a wheelchair at an airport.

    Don't upset the neighbors

    This 2017 contest, held in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, marked the first time that a host state banned another country's entrant. Ukrainian security services denied entry to 27-year-old, wheelchair-bound Yulia Samoylova of Russia after reports surfaced that she had toured Crimea after Russia annexed it in 2014. In response, Russia's state-owned broadcaster Channel One will not air the contest.

  • Jamala representing Ukraine at Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, holding Ukrainian flag and smiling.

    Lyrically political

    Russia and Ukraine had their share of Eurovision drama in 2016 when Ukrainian entrant Jamala beat Russia's Sergey Lazarev. The song "1944" about Stalin’s deportation of Crimean Tatars during the World War Two was initially deemed controversial due to the contest's ban on explicit political messages. Jamala was victorious, however, with 534 points. Russia finished third, with Australia second.

  • Conchita Wurst performing a song amid glitter.

    Rising against the radicals

    Even though the song contest is known as a celebration of diversity, at the 2014 event in Copenhagen, the victory of Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst (the stage persona of Tom Neuwirth) saw a backlash from numerous countries. Radical groups in Russia, Azerbaijan and Belarus all campaigned — without success — to keep the then 25-year-old from entering.

  • Eurovision Song Contest | Politische Ereignisse | Sakis Rouvas und Sertab Erener (picture alliance/AP Photo/O. Orsal)

    Erdogan-vision

    Citing "dissatisfaction with the rules," Turkey refused to participate in the 2013 contest. Following Conchita Wurst's victory, a Turkish MP from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP reported the country would no longer take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. Turkey had participated in the contest 34 times since its first appearance in 1975 and even won in 2004.

  • three women and a mustached man all dressed in black.

    Russian disco

    Georgia was disqualified from the Moscow 2009 contest over their disco-funk entry, "We Don't Wanna Put In" after the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU) deemed the lyrics too political. As well as an apparent play on Russian President Vladimir Putin's name, Georgian female trio 3G, along with male vocalist Stephane sang of a "negative move" that was "killing the groove."

  • Estonia's entry Tanel Badar (right) and Dave Benton (left) jubilate during the voting at the Eurovision Song Contest.

    Singing for freedom

    In 2001, Estonia became the first former-Soviet republic to win Eurovision. "We freed ourselves from the Soviet empire through song," Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar said, following the victory in Copenhagen. "Now we will sing our way into Europe," he added, referring to the talks that led the country to join the European Union in 2004. Estonia's independence was restored in 1991.

  • The scoreboard shows the victory of Ukraine's Ruslana Lyzichko during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest

    Geographical bias

    A long-running debate in Eurovision is the apparent bloc voting by neighboring countries. Late UK presenter Terry Wogan famously stepped down from commentating Eurovision in 2008, saying it was "no longer a music contest." Some of the main perpetrators are Cyprus and Greece, Scandinavia, the Balkan states and the former Soviet bloc. The change in voting in 2016 aimed to minimize geographical bias.

  • A band performing on stage, with two singers and a guitarist in the background.

    Tongue-tied Belgians

    Language has long been a fundamental flaw at the heart of Belgium's ongoing existential Eurovision crisis. For years, in a bid to keep the peace at home, Belgium has alternated between sending an entry to sing either in Flemish or French. Back in 2003, however, the Belgians avoided any linguistic woes with their entry "Sanomi," which was sung by the band Urban Trad in a fictional language.

  • Black and white photo of Eurovision Song Contest in 1969

    Austria takes a stand

    In 1969, Austria took a political stance against Spain and withdrew from Eurovision. The country refused to take part in Madrid to show its opposition to the Franco regime. Spanish General Francisco Franco ruled over Spain as a military dictator for 39 years from 1936 until his death in 1975. An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 people died as a result of his human rights abuses.


  • Kalush Orchestra waving Ukrainian flags

    Russia and Crimea supporters excluded

    Russia's ban from the 2022 Eurovision was a consequence of its invasion of Ukraine. But even before that, politics also marred Ukraine's national selection this year. Alina Pash, who had first won the selection contest, was found to have traveled to Crimea from Russia in 2015 — breaking Ukraine's rules set in 2019. She pulled out, allowing runner-up Kalush Orchestra to represent the country.

  • Yulia Samoylova, a woman being pushed in a wheelchair at an airport.

    Don't upset the neighbors

    This 2017 contest, held in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, marked the first time that a host state banned another country's entrant. Ukrainian security services denied entry to 27-year-old, wheelchair-bound Yulia Samoylova of Russia after reports surfaced that she had toured Crimea after Russia annexed it in 2014. In response, Russia's state-owned broadcaster Channel One will not air the contest.

  • Jamala representing Ukraine at Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, holding Ukrainian flag and smiling.

    Lyrically political

    Russia and Ukraine had their share of Eurovision drama in 2016 when Ukrainian entrant Jamala beat Russia's Sergey Lazarev. The song "1944" about Stalin’s deportation of Crimean Tatars during the World War Two was initially deemed controversial due to the contest's ban on explicit political messages. Jamala was victorious, however, with 534 points. Russia finished third, with Australia second.

  • Conchita Wurst performing a song amid glitter.

    Rising against the radicals

    Even though the song contest is known as a celebration of diversity, at the 2014 event in Copenhagen, the victory of Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst (the stage persona of Tom Neuwirth) saw a backlash from numerous countries. Radical groups in Russia, Azerbaijan and Belarus all campaigned — without success — to keep the then 25-year-old from entering.

  • Eurovision Song Contest | Politische Ereignisse | Sakis Rouvas und Sertab Erener (picture alliance/AP Photo/O. Orsal)

    Erdogan-vision

    Citing "dissatisfaction with the rules," Turkey refused to participate in the 2013 contest. Following Conchita Wurst's victory, a Turkish MP from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP reported the country would no longer take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. Turkey had participated in the contest 34 times since its first appearance in 1975 and even won in 2004.

  • three women and a mustached man all dressed in black.

    Russian disco

    Georgia was disqualified from the Moscow 2009 contest over their disco-funk entry, "We Don't Wanna Put In" after the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU) deemed the lyrics too political. As well as an apparent play on Russian President Vladimir Putin's name, Georgian female trio 3G, along with male vocalist Stephane sang of a "negative move" that was "killing the groove."

  • Estonia's entry Tanel Badar (right) and Dave Benton (left) jubilate during the voting at the Eurovision Song Contest.

    Singing for freedom

    In 2001, Estonia became the first former-Soviet republic to win Eurovision. "We freed ourselves from the Soviet empire through song," Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar said, following the victory in Copenhagen. "Now we will sing our way into Europe," he added, referring to the talks that led the country to join the European Union in 2004. Estonia's independence was restored in 1991.

  • The scoreboard shows the victory of Ukraine's Ruslana Lyzichko during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest

    Geographical bias

    A long-running debate in Eurovision is the apparent bloc voting by neighboring countries. Late UK presenter Terry Wogan famously stepped down from commentating Eurovision in 2008, saying it was "no longer a music contest." Some of the main perpetrators are Cyprus and Greece, Scandinavia, the Balkan states and the former Soviet bloc. The change in voting in 2016 aimed to minimize geographical bias.

  • A band performing on stage, with two singers and a guitarist in the background.

    Tongue-tied Belgians

    Language has long been a fundamental flaw at the heart of Belgium's ongoing existential Eurovision crisis. For years, in a bid to keep the peace at home, Belgium has alternated between sending an entry to sing either in Flemish or French. Back in 2003, however, the Belgians avoided any linguistic woes with their entry "Sanomi," which was sung by the band Urban Trad in a fictional language.

  • Black and white photo of Eurovision Song Contest in 1969

    Austria takes a stand

    In 1969, Austria took a political stance against Spain and withdrew from Eurovision. The country refused to take part in Madrid to show its opposition to the Franco regime. Spanish General Francisco Franco ruled over Spain as a military dictator for 39 years from 1936 until his death in 1975. An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 people died as a result of his human rights abuses.


More in the Media Center

Members of the band Kalush Orchestra pose onstage with the winner's trophy and Ukraine's flags after winning on behalf of Ukraine the Eurovision Song contest 2022 on May 14, 2022 at the Pala Alpitour venue in Turin. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra wins Eurovision final 15.05.2022

2022-04-09 22:12:05 AMSTERDAM - The Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra during Eurovision in Concert in AFAS Live. The band is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Stefania, a song that is now considered a kind of battle song for the war in Ukraine. ANP PAUL BERGEN netherlands out - belgium out *** 2022 04 09 22 12 05 AMSTERDAM The Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra during Eurovision in Concert in AFAS Live The band is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Stefania, a song that is now considered a kind of battle song for the war in Ukraine ANP PAUL BERGEN netherlands out belgium out PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xx x446865396x originalFilename: 446865396.jpg

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