Credits
Written by
Published
Source(s)
News
© esctoday.com
Growing anger from the Western countries
It's all East! - Exclusive reactions first!
Countries tipped to do well such as Switzerland, Cyprus, Malta, Norway, Denmark, Andorra and Netherlands along with Portugal, Iceland and Belgium once again miss out. Whether it is political voting taking a stronger hand than ever remains to be seen until the voting numbers are revealed but there is rising anger in the press centre at what feels like a fix to many Western European journalists.
Head of the United Kingdom delegation, Dominic Smith told esctoday.com that "From the United Kingdom's perspective, it makes you doubt what our motivation would be to enter the semi final, there absolutely no motivation with this result. I was sorry to see Denmark not there, Switzerland was good, Netherlands was good".
Christer Bjorkman, head of the Swedish delegation told us: "There are no big surprises here. To be quite honest, they send good songs. I had hope for Andorra, and maybe Switzerland. They take it seriously and their voters are more devoted, but I do understand the frustration". Asked if this result worries him about Sweden's chances on Saturday, Mr. Bjorkman said "Yes, because there are ten more good songs in the final".
Head of press for the Norwegian delegation told esctoday.com after the result: "Obviously we are very disappointed. Everything went so well for us until the voting. This shows that we need to reconsider the system with the semi finals, this result certainly sends us warning signals to the Western countries".
Stella Gliana, Head of the Greek delegation was less worried about the result. "I'm not that surprised. I was expecting Andorra and switzerland and I haven't had a chance to look at this too much yet. The performances of the qualifying songs were very strong. Serbia - although on stage the act wasn't astounding, the song is incredibly strong and she is a powerful young lady has a wonderful voice".
A senior director of NOS, the Dutch broadcaster has informed esctoday.com that "I heard there was a lot of anger in the hall. I think the EBU has to find out what to do about this problem. It would be smart to have a discussion within the EBU and with the Western Countries because if this goes on for three or four more years, countries will be withdrawing. Asked on whether the Dutch were already considering withdrawal, we were told "no, not at the moment".
The first singer to give a reaction on this subject to esctoday.com is Edsilia Rombley, one of the fans' favourites here in Helsinki. The representative of The Netherlands was asked about the voting, Edisila felt that it was definitely an issue, although it hadn't occurred to her immediately. Asked if she would try again to win the Eurovision Song Contest, she said "No! No way, not until they find a proper way to judge and reduce the televoting in the competition".
There is sure to be more on this story in the upcoming press conference and meetings amongst Western delegations in the next few hours. esctoday.com are live in the press centre and will be covering live.
Related polls
- Eurovision 2008: best multilingual entry?
- Best winner of the last 25 years?
- Worst winner of the last 25 years?
- National finals 2008: which runner-up should have won?
- Your favourite Scandinavian winner?
Go directly to the reactions
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
Hi everyone! I'm from Denmark and i couldn't agree more with the western european countries about how ridiculous this competision has become. I mean there can only be one explanation for why it’s only the eastern countries that go on to the final and that must be that for them it’s more about which part of the world you live in and not about what music that sound good.
But people think. If we want to see some changes then we shouldn’t vote like them, we should rather not vote at all. That way we can tell Europe that this is not right and we want to see some changes, NOW! Think about that “revenge-thing”, we shouldn’t give them a chance to say the same things about us.
Evil begets evil. Remember that.
@ Max Raspail
I think it is very good idea, to make two half-finals: East and West
I vote for that! 
Vote for:
-SWEDEN
-SPAIN
-FRANCE
-UK
-GERMANY
-FINLAND
-GREECE
-IRELAND
or Turkey, one of the "old" countries
I heard our national speaker saying that ESC will see a lot of changes including the possibility to become a contest of the WORLD in 2009... i couldn't believe when i heard, they can't do that, ESC will loose all the sence... this a contest to unite the europeans and to show Europe's diferent cultures... they are just destroying our ESC... DON'T DO THAT PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
I will vote for the songs i like. It has nothing to do with politics!
I like beauty and pureness in a song! I will vote for quality! So i will vote for:
1st IRELAND
2nd Hungary
3th France
(cyprus nice and catchy tune too)
May the BEST winn!
** Bring back the ORCHESTRA, the NATIVE LANGUAGES and the JURY-VOTES! **
(If not... please...The Netherlands ... withdraw from this (SHOW)contest.). Cause it's a big humiliation!
VOTE 4 : GREECE,GERMANY OR SPAIN................
VOTE A WESTERN COUNTRY..............
UK
Greece
Spain
France
Germany
Sweden m
Dear German Eagle,
First of all I'm not from East Europe, if you see my profile, I'm from Greece.
You didn't understand a single word from what I said but never mind.
If your interpretation of last night's result is that that East Europe has made a Mafia and your reaction is to "cheat" by voting for the UK (I didn't know a vote for the UK is a cheat...), then I don't really have anything logical to reply.
Have a nice Saturday!
Max Raspail,
you better START READING what people say!When I said that Croatia and Montegero didn't qualify, I was referring to the BALKAN and not the whole Eastern block!
AS for my other point, go to youtube.com and search for comments under Marija's videos, so you can see that people from ALLOVER EUROPE are extatic about the Serbian entry.
AND how obvious was the WESTERN block when Irish ballads were winning?Give me a break!
@Kostas FM
>Now, ALL you Western guys and girls complaining about "the Contest going East", I'd like to remind you that you were ALL favouring each nation's independency and the split of former Yugoslavia, USSR, even Czechoslovakia's.>
Well, dream on. Most people in Western Europe just don't care about what happens in Eastern Europe. And if you are honest to yourself: The people in Belgrade for example are not interested in what happens in Berlin, Brussels or London. That's a fact and it's simply natural. So the ESC should be, what a good competition is like to be: May the best song win! The best song! Hey, I like the russian song. Really a hit-song! But I also like Scooch from England. A little bit more ironic. But yesterday has changed everything. What I don't like to see is that people from former countries - countries, that don't exist anymore and are split in different parts - vote for their neighbours. This is not fair. It's simply not fair. And still - okay, I'm repeating myself - VOTE FOR ENGLAND. If YOU can cheat - I can cheat, too!
GO SARBEL 
GO GREECE
EXPLORE YOUR SENSES 
W.E.S.T IS PRESENT!!!!!!!
I think the only problem here is that Eurovision in Western countries is not as popular anymore and in the East it is only starting to be popular. People who have interest in the actual contest -vote, who dont - don't vote... well there you are... The western countries are loosing out. I don't see anything unnatural about voting for the neighbour countries. The popular music in country voting is very often similar to the popular music in the country voted for... For example, Lithuania would vote for Schooch (UK), because Gay culture is something "forbidden" there but they will vote for Belarus because they have seen him on the TV millions of times... how obvious!
First of all I'd like to say that MOST of the songs that passed were among the favourites, I don't understand why everybody now are reacting as if they'd discovered America...
Furthermore, most of the songs that passed are very good. Personally I didn't like Slovenia and Latvia very much (VERY good voices though), BUT even if the semi finals were split according geography, they'd be in the western block, probably Hungary too.
By the way, I like Hungary a lot (go Magdi!) and together with Ireland it's my fave song. I liked Cyprus too but maybe Evridiki's voice was too loud and aggressive. I'm really sorry she didn't make it...
Now, ALL you Western guys and girls complaining about "the Contest going East", I'd like to remind you that you were ALL favouring each nation's independency and the split of former Yugoslavia, USSR, even Czechoslovakia's. If I'm not mistaken, last May most of you were writing positive messages about Montenegro splitting from Serbia and most of you ask for Kosovo to take part as an independent country. Needless to say how thrilled you were to see Azerbaidjan (I have NOTHING against the country) and possibly other Asian countries into the Contest.
SO, IF we want to be honest, politics DO count, we can't see Eurovision as a part of another planet's life. And if now you are moaning about the results, before that you were all so thrilled that Eastern European countries joined the Contest (and you were right, for decades ESC was nothing more but a West Europe institution).
As for the split of the countries in the semis according to "West and East", like in the US, 1) it'd be based on highly unstable criteria (ex. would Finland, Croatia and Slovenia be parts of the Eastern or the Western group?) 2) it'd be like living again under cold war circumstances, Europe SUFFERED from them for decades 3) what would happen to the Nordic block?? It has ruled for years and years, why did you never react to it? 4) what about the big4 (or rather BIG FRAUD) rule??
I'd say the best way for the moment would be to BRING PROFESSIONAL JURIES for 50% of each country's votes.
AND HOPEFULLY NATIVE LANGUAGES AND ORCHESTRA BACK!! It is neither an English song contest nor a Karaoke contest, is it?
To sum up, I'd strongly suggest that WE ALL FACE OUR OWN FAULTS AND DON'T LOOK FOR BARBARIANS to justify negative results.
I wish everybody a very good FINAL!!! Ans who knows, maybe see you in a warmer country next year!!
@ Max Raspail
that is something I, myself all the countrys itself can not help to change, cuz its a free will to vote for some you like...
@ Simon B
I'm not stupid. I know about this.
But there are obviously millions of televoters in the East who don't know about this.
@ Max Raspail
everybody supports some else. bur look if you like rock you will defenetly supoort other countrys then if you like slow balades.
it's all about the taste the performance and the thinking of the each individual
@shawn spagnol
Sure we can discuss this situation, but would it make sense? What I am talking about is what happened last night. I love the ESC and I am old enough to say, that this was a really wonderful competition. Until yesterday. I always voted for the song I liked the most. I voted for "Runaway" (Sahlene - Estonia or something like that a few years ago), I voted for Ruslana. But that's history. I was stupid. The people in East-Europe will always vote for their neighbours. They don't care about the songs, they care about the nationality of the singers. I hate that. But okay - I can play the game, too! People: VOTE FOR ENGLAND!
@ Simon B
but again, you are not right. There's no country in the semi finals which I really supported. My favourites were Andorra, Netherlands and Hungary. One of them also passed, two of them not. That's not bad.
What I'm so bitter with, what is shocking me in such a way, is the fact that I recognized that the Western countries don't have a chance... that the Contest is destroyed... sorry for being dramatic.
And concerning the point of staying and being smart: This would be the highlight of the dullness! To give the coulisse for the East every year and to pay also for all this farce...
The Big4 should get out, they have no chance, Germany and France has tried hard this year and are sending good pieces. Tomorrow they won't get what they deserve, I'm 100 % sure.
@ Max Raspail
I understand... But look... as long western europe was leading the competition no one was complaining about it.
but in the last 2 years you lost something you were used to and ofcourse its painfull and bitter. its better to let the politics, look forward to the final and after that to the next year competition
oh and I have to specify: with level, I'm not talking of superior or inferior level, I just want to express that there is another regard...
@ Max Raspail
i know your feelings, cuz this is the first time slovenia reached the finals, and i know how you feel if a good song of yours stay in sem-finals...
But i still think you should not give it up... Giving up and turn away is the simplest thing to do. if you are smart, just ignore it and just show good will and go on with face up...
don't take this as i'm making fools of someone who did not get to the finals, cuz i know how it feels
@ Simon B
Of course, I'm looking at politics now.
But I wasn't the first to do this.
This Contest was ever influenced by political voting but it was never so drastic like it is now. The East has destroyed a once beautiful competition because of his bloc-voting, of course, I'm talking about politics now. I have to talk about it when I want to be on the level of somebody who is defending what the East has done yesterday...
@ shawn spagnol
I understand how furious one could get with this but if you show this, you lose the basis of your argumentation...
stay competent! congratulations to a wonderful show of Olivia Lewis this year. I enjoyed it very much...
And there's no need to come back. Stay out of the Contest! The West should boycott this competition and if we were intelligent, we would start right now and not let the East make fools of us any longer...
@ Max Raspail
it is true, what you have written, but you also look to much in politics when talking about west and east...
this contest should have nothing to do with democarcy...
it should be about good music nad all europe together
@ shawn spagnol
no need to get upset about it. i just told what i wanted to tell and anybody els too know about my opinion.
Ofcourse i'm hopping for the best possbile place for slovenia and i also hope that malta for the next year will be as good as this year if not even better. but think about how much you yourself want that malta would win...
@ Zorica
OH, bravo!! Congratulations!
Croatia and Montenegro didn't qualify - extraordinary good point... perhaps you should count how many East countries qualified and how many places were there to qualify....
And to your other point: MANY Western people voted for Ruslana or Zeljko Joksimovic because they brought just a good entry, but also Cyprus or the Netherlands qualified for example in 2004. Block-voting wasn't so obvious like it was in this year.
@ Simon B
of course, nobody is forced to vote for the neighbours. The East votes for each other without being forced to do that.
And yes, you're right. The West seems to be very stupid to vote fair, but this dullness is a sign of democracy in my opinoin...
The list of 930 reactions is divided into 35 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
