PORTUGAL’S SOMBRE BALLAD MAKES HISTORY
Salvador Sobral’s ‘Love for Two’ beats front-runners Italy, Romania
KIEV
Sobral, 27, performed the song in Portuguese, dressed in an oversized dinner jacket, and often clasped his hands in front of his chest as he sang.
It was a far cry from the other performances, which included shirtless men splashing in a pool; a performer wearing a horse head sitting atop a ladder; another straddling a full-sized cannon; and, several instances of fireworks.
He beat some more favoured acts, including front-runners Francesco Gabbani from Italy, whose performance featured a break dancing actor in a gorilla suit, and “Yodel It!” a rap and adviser and then economy minister — was then driven away from the palace to applause from his staff and the new president.
The former investment banker, who had never contested an election before, was then proclaimed president by Laurent Fabius, president of the Constitutional Council.
“To be the man of one’s country, one must be the man of your time,” Fabius told him.
“You are now the man of your time... and by the sovereign choice of the people, you are now, above all ... the man of our country.” yodelling mashup from Romania.
Bulgaria’s entrant, Kristian Kostov, who sang a synthy love song Beautiful Mess, came in second place.
Spain’s chipper Manel Navarro performed Do It For Your Lover and finished in last place.
The Eurovision Song Contest’s winner is chosen through an intricate process that combines votes from judges from the participating countries with votes sent in by viewers.
The announcement process,
In his first speech, Macron said the French people had chosen “hope” and shown a willingness to change in the election.
He promised that the EU, hit by the departure of Britain, would be “rejuvenated and relaunched” during his time in office.
“The world and Europe need France now more than ever, and they need a strong France with a sense of its own destiny.”
To underline his European ambitions, Macron will visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin today in his first foreign trip. which was broadcast around the world, took roughly an hour.
Eurovision, which draws nearly 200 million viewers each year, begins with a series of contests and official appointments in each of the participating countries to determine who will go to the finals.
Eurovision winners usually have a shooting star-like trajectory that flares out shortly after their victory, but the contest has launched some talents with longstanding careers, most notably Abba and Celine Dion.
Macron’s wife, Brigitte Trogneux, 64, who was his high school drama teacher, listened to his sombre 12-minute speech wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit.
After the formalities, a 21-gun salute rang out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine.
The new president faces a host of daunting challenges, including tackling high unemployment, fighting Islamist-inspired violence and uniting a divided country.
Socialist Hollande’s five years in power were plagued by a sluggish
Sobral’s sister, Luísa Sobral, wrote his song, which translates as “Love for Two”.
She joined him on stage after he won for a final performance.
Luísa had served as her brother’s ambassador in Kiev, attending media events and rehearsals for him as he recuperated from health problems.
“I think this could be a victory for music, for the people that make music that actually means something,” Sobral said as he collected his award. NYT economy and terror attacks that killed more than 230 people and he left office after one term.
Security was tight, with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads blocked off.
After a formal lunch, Macron would visit Paris’s town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his “host” city.
He is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister today, before flying to Berlin. AFP