The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was a sham, a cheat, an international farce. At least this is the view for millions of ordinary citizens who voted Russia’s song entry their favorite, only to have a questionable jury of Eurovision judges usurp their votes. While many people just write such suggested vote rigging off as “entertainment” sensation only, the truth of subverted public will lingers beneath. What are the ramifications, if a few media people can steal away the people’s vote? In this article I will show not only the lopsided travesty of this Eurovision fiasco, but I will offer a window into who is behind such a circus.
A few days ago I was writing about my favorite song of this year’s Eurovision, the Armenian entry of singer, Iveta Mukuchyan, and her son “Love Wave”. Wondering at her chances, I searched Google for the “odds” being offered by betting sites. I found Russia’s song by Sergey Lazarev the odds on favorite, with Ukraine’s, Jamala, and “1944” a fairly distant second. Proud for the Russians, I still held out hope Armenia might win. Those hopes evaporated halfway through the “jury” votes at the conclusion of the contest. Not only was Armenia destined to be robbed, Russia was about to take it on the chin from a controlled media cabal, at least this is the view I have. When the “popular” vote of the people was factored in, and when Ukraine was named in second by the citizens of participating countries, I know instantly Russia had lost. The “jurists” had done their job, Russia was just too far behind to be rescued by fairness even.
I don’t have to dig very deep in order to show you how this happened. Just get a grasp of a system that has two weighted parts. A “jury” of media people appointed to serve the contest is tasked with “picking” the best songs in the contest. These “representatives” mostly work for state or corporate controlled media, and in Europe, most of this media is owned by vested interests in current world business and political affairs. The juries last weekend followed political party lines mostly, and almost unanimously picked either Australia or Ukraine to win Eurovision. Russia, Armenia, and a cavalcade of other countries were shut out mostly. The damnable truth that arises here, is how far from the people these jurists actually were. Take a look at the votes below from selected, shall we say “partisan” counties not politically aligned with Russia. Pay close attention to how these nations of people are “perceived” or portrayed in mainstream media. I assure you what you discover will amaze you. More on that later, please take a look.
- Estonia: The jury gave Sweden 12 points and Russia 0 – the people gave Russia 12 points
- Germany: The jury gave 12 points to Israel and 0 to Russia – the people gave Russia 12 points
- Israel: The jury gave 12 points to Ukraine and 0 to Russia – the people voted Russia 10 points
- Moldova: The jury gave Ukraine 12 points and Russia 7 – the people voted Russia 12 points
- Poland: The jury gave Ukraine 12 points and Russia 0 – Polish people gave Russia third place
- Serbia: The jury voted Ukraine 12 points and Russia 1 – Serbians voted Russia 1 st place
I could go on revealing the disparity, but you get the idea. In case you do not, look at the fact Ukraine, the country that should have the most political vehemence against ANY Russian, where the PEOPLE gave the Russian song 1 st place. And as you might expect, the jury of media people gave zero points to the same song Ukrainians like more than any other in the contest they were allowed to vote for. Ukraine people did not spend their money on carrying the “party line”, they texted in their votes for Russia. The same Russia western media tries to tell you all Ukrainians despise. Remember, there is a war under ceasefire in the east of Ukraine, and Obama’s people tell you Crimea is huge deal for those same Ukraine citizens. But let’s move on, I made this point.
The jurists, just who are they anyway? To gain insight into why Eurovision jurists could be so desperately tone deaf compared to the citizens of certain countries, let’s look at the heads of the delegations of the aforementioned countries.
Estonia’s Mart Normet is essentially an employee of the Estonian government. Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR), or Estonian Public Broadcasting. ERR is run by a committee headed by Margus Allikmaa, who was formerly Estonia’s Minister of Culture, and before that apparently the recipient of a grant from none other than George Soros via the “Open Estonia” initiative in 1996 (PDF). I’ll leave inquisitive readers to the task of digging deeper here. As for Normet’s vote, you can write to him (and I hope you will) via: mart.normet@err.ee
Germany’s head of Eurovision, Carola Conze is one of the top producers of NDR Public Broadcasting out of Hamburg. Interestingly, besides some advertising revenues, everyone who works for NDR is essentially paid by the same people who voted for Russia from Germany, the TV subscribers who are billed for the services across Germany. This one is a slippery slope, so I will reserve further digging here. Some elites in Germany run this show.
Israel’s government also seems to run the show where Eurovision voting is concerned. Or at least the head of the delegation, Yoav Ginai, works for the Israel Broadcast Authority. I cannot be sure if we are seeing a pattern emerge here, but governments seem all too involved in European entertainment in my book. Anyway, you can ask Voav straight away if the jury sold out by turning upside-down the people of Israel’s choice for Eurovision 2016. Ginai actually seems to know a lot about Eurovision controversy, and wrote the lyrics for Diva, the song that won for Israel back in 1998. How is that for Eurovision trivia? His email is: yoavginai@gmail.com
The one hopeful note in an otherwise sour orchestra of juries, Romania’s StirileProTV correspondent, Vitalie Cojocari is the head of Moldova’s Eurovision panel. While Moldova was once part of Romania, I am not quite sure how this arrangement works. Perhaps Cojocari lives in Bucharest, and was born in Moldova? For his part, it could be Vitalie is the one good egg in a bad basket, for he condemned the geopolitics via his blog after the event. I’ll wager he was one of the ones who voted Russia higher. You can ask him via: cv@trm.md
Zuzanna Olbrychska is Poland’s Eurovision chief. The daughter of famous Polish actor, Andrew Łapicki, she is a very interesting Polish celebrity. A bit of an enigma, she might be influenced by the fact she is the great, great granddaughter of Andrew Łapicki, Minsk Governor during the infamous January Uprising, who was exiled by the Russians to Tomsk Region. I am sure old wounds die very hard, but a deeper look into Poland’s jury is definitely necessary. In case Ms. Olbrychska has time, maybe she can talk about old wars and new Eurovision winners. The email is: zuzanna.olbrychska@tvp.pl
Serbian radio host, Dragan Ilić heads up that country’s Eurovision jury. As far as I can tell, Ilić works for Radio Belgrade, part of RTB, another state owner entity that gets its funding very much in the same way Germany milks its citizens. Monthly utility bills serve as a payment conduit that lets citizens support the shows they see. This bitter irony strikes home hard for Serbians, who have traditionally been fans of Russia, and not just music fans. Who knows, maybe Dragan was the sole vote Russia got from the government jury, you can email and ask him at: dragan.ilic@rts.rs
Politically motivated, Eurovision has born this stain since I before I moved to Europe in 2007. Having friends, family, and colleagues all across Europe now, most of whom enjoy the fantasy that somehow excellence and fairness might one day prevail. Eurovision hosts often make light of the fact countries play favorites with neighbors and for geo-political reasons, but this year’s stunning vote is the exception, and the example of how NOT to run an international contest. The Ukraine song that won, “1944” is about Crimea Tartars suffering at the hands of the Soviets who took back Crimea from the Nazis in 1944. The Eurovision people broke nearly every rule in the agnostic playbook even allowing the song in. It was a clear “fix” in my book, from the start. Crimea, war, atrocities, the west versus Putin and Russia today, the Nazis on the loose once again, and magically “1944” wins a song contest broadcast in America for the first time. Please.
But my story, and my investigation into this is not about entertaining, or which tunes strike the most reverberating chords. The reason this contest being tilted is so crucial is what it says about government, media, corporations, and the leadership of European nations. Eurovision 2016 is a clear condemnation of a system that has overruled the people. Leaders, government has decided the will of citizens matters not. Look through the results of the government created judges, compared to the results people who phoned in submitted. What this says is; “We will decide who wins, not you.” It is symbolic of a great schism, the idea that the PEOPLE of Europe hate Russia, or that they are somehow against Russians.
Think about all of this in the context of western mainstream media’s reporting on Putin, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, or any geo-political crisis. The people actually believe and want one thing, while the leaders and celebrities evangelize the opposite. The “news” reeks of crisis, hatred, mistrust and warmongering, while the real Germans, Estonians, British, or even Americans just vote “PEACE” ….. I hope you read me here. The only people hating on Russians, Americans or Europeans, are the sellouts and their buyers. The people you and I put in office, who we revere as actors or singers or bosses, they TELL us what they want us to think is going on. Eurovision 2016 was a farce. Russia won by any vote that should have mattered. The officials could have saved everyone a lot of time and effort, if they had just let Barack Obama, Cameron, and Merkel vote. Maybe next year they will just let us go back to work to pay for our TV programming, and forget about Eurovision.
That’s all I have to say, for now.
Phil Butler exclusively for News Front