One again Australia is dragged into a dispute over the Crimean peninsula in which they have no real stake – this time over the parade of European nationalist resentments masquerading as a pop song content that is Eurovision. Turns out Russia is not particularly pleased about Ukrainian singer Jamala‘s shock win – which relegated Aussie Dami Im, who won the jury vote, to second place.
Jamala’s song ‘1944’ was a ballad about the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars, which does seem like it might violate the Eurovision rule about the inclusion of overtly political songs.
Russia agrees. “This is partly a consequence of the propaganda war of information that is being waged against Russia,” said Russian MP Elena Drapeko. “There is a general demonisation of Russia – that we are all evil, that our athletes are doping, that our planes violate airspace.”
“Music lost, because victory clearly did not go to the best song, and the contest lost because political attitudes prevailed over fair competition,” said Konstantin Kosachev, the top foreign policy official of Russia’s upper house of parliament.
Now there are demands for an inquiry into how such a political song could have weaselled its way past the judges, and the possibility of a boycott of Eurovision in 2017 and beyond. Which, considering how huge the contest is in Eastern Europe, might not be a well-loved idea.
The deportation of Crimean Tatars – in which they were sent away until 1989 on the accusation that they collaborated with the Nazis – is an understandably sensitive and extremely politically charged issue in both Russia and Ukraine.
And obviously, caught in the middle is little old Australia, wedged at second place between Jamala and Russia’s entry Sergei Lazarev. Lazarev was the favourite to win before the final because Australia – which is in Europe now – swooped in there.
But look. It’s not all bad blood. Russia’s popular vote awarded Ukraine 10 points during the contest, and Ukraine awarded Russia the full 12 points. So there’s hope.
Source: The Guardian.
Photo: Getty Images / Anadolu Agency.
