Who cares about tactical voting now? Eurovision unites behind Ukraine
EUROVISION is certainly no stranger to tactical voting, but few begrudged the anticipated partisanship that was expected to sweep Ukraine to victory last night.
With thousands dead and millions displaced, the contest could have seemed irrelevant.
But the support that made Kalush Orchestra’s song Stefania the overwhelming favourite stirred millions of people facing the brutality of Vladimir Putin. Even before last night, Stefania topped the Ukrainian charts.
Timur Miroshnychenko, Ukraine’s version of BBC Eurovision presenter Graham Norton, broadcast from a bomb shelter in Kyiv.
Before the competition in the Italian city of Turin began, Mr Miroshnychenko, who cohosted Eurovision in the Ukrainian capital 2017, said: ‘Maybe now is the most important contest in the history of Eurovision.’ Stefania,
‘The most important contest in the history of Eurovision’
which combines elements of rap and traditional folk, was written as an ode to the mother of frontman Oleh Psiuk, but has been reinterpreted as signifying Ukraine’s fight to repel Russia. Its lyrics include, ‘The field is blooming, but her hair is getting grey. Mother, sing me the lullaby, I want to hear your dear word.’
In an interview earlier this month with NME magazine, Psiuk said: ‘To represent Ukraine in the international arena is always a responsibility, but to represent it during the war is just the highest responsibility possible. The song was composed and dedicated to my mother, but after the war the song has acquired lots of nuances because a lot of people are perceiving it as if Ukraine is my mother.’
While there has been criticism about voting at Eurovision in the past, there appeared little concern at the prospect of heavy support for Ukraine – and few complaints about Russia being barred.
Performing 12th out of the 25th finalists, Kalush Orchestra won a standing ovation from the audience at Turin’s PalaOlimpico. At the end, one of the band referred to the Ukrainians trapped at a steelworks in the coastal city of Mariupol, saying: ‘Help Ukraine, help Mariupol, help Azovstal now.’
Vaughan Staples, head of the Eurovision fan club OGAE UK, said: ‘This is the first year I have really thought, “You can’t keep politics out of the contest”. You really have to say there is a right and a wrong side here.’ Although bookmakers tipped Kalush Orchestra as favourites, UK entrant Sam Ryder and his song Space Man were also predicted to do well. The UK has performed poorly in recent years with James Newman getting the dreaded ‘nul points’ last year. Speaking before the 66th Eurovision contest began, the 32-year-old Ryder, who shot to fame after performing song covers on TikTok during lockdown, said: ‘We believe Europe doesn’t like the UK. But there has been nothing but warmth and kindness everywhere we have gone.’