Political stage? Eurovision song contest met with Israel-Gaza war protests

François PICARD | Rebecca GNIGNATI | Alessandro XENOS | Dave KEATING | Dean Vuletic | Charlie Sohne | Zoë Jay

Edité par France 24 - 2024

Security is tight around the venue in southern Sweden, amid calls by some to bar Israel's contestant. And while the ban on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine two years ago was for the most part consensual, this call is tearing apart aficionados.

It’s not just controversial when the voting is done by country. When do rock anthems become national anthems? Just how important is music for propaganda and resistance? And are today's artists any more or less voices for activism than their predecessors?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Juliette Brown. 

Note
  • After the massive party in Marseille to welcome the arrival of the Olympic flame, it's time to turn our gaze north for what's also billed as another "it's a small world after all" feelgood celebration. Malmö, Sweden is host of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, that heart-shaped ode to kitsch where pop contestants do battle with tremolos, glitter and kicks. But just as politics bleeds into sports, it bleeds into music. 

Langue
anglais
Date de publication
09/05/2024
Collection
The Debate
Contributeurs
Dave KEATING FRANCE 24 Brussels correspondent
Dean Vuletic Author of "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest"
Charlie Sohne Host of the Podcast 'Mysteries of the Euroverse'
Zoë Jay Postdoctoral Researcher in International Relations, University of Helsinki

Consulter en ligne

Suggestions

Du même auteur

Macron's gamble: Will snap elections stop the rise of French far right? | François PICARD

Macron's gamble: Will snap elections stop the...

| François PICARD | 2024

Since losing his outright majority in parliament after his re-election as president in 2022, Macron had muddled through with a mixture of compromises and executive decrees. Now, suddenly, comes a lightning-fast three-week campaign...

Europe in shock: What next after shooting of Slovak leader Fico? | François PICARD

Europe in shock: What next after shooting of ...

| François PICARD | 2024

When British member of parliament Jo Cox was assassinated by a deranged constituent during the 2016 Brexit campaign, that too seemed like a black swan moment. Are these isolated cases or part of a broader trend?And who stands to b...

What's Europe going to do about it? EU weighs options as Trump insists on tariffs | François PICARD

What's Europe going to do about it? EU weighs...

| François PICARD | 2025

Last week, France and Germany called on the European Union to hit the US where it hurts: its tech sector.But just as the Covid pandemic made Europe realise how overdependent it is on Chinese manufactured goods and medici...

By any means necessary? Ecuador's new president and the fight against drug gangs | François PICARD

By any means necessary? Ecuador's new preside...

| François PICARD | 2024

Back in January, the world was shocked to see a once-peaceful Andean nation overrun by massive prison breaks in several cities, with the escape of "Capitan Pico" and the brief overtaking of a television station by gang members. Is...

From Taiwan to TikTok: Who blinks first in US-China showdown? | François PICARD

From Taiwan to TikTok: Who blinks first in US...

| François PICARD | 2024

When Washington and Beijing face off over China flooding world markets with subsidised solar panels and electric car batteries, it certainly sounds like bartering over big bucks. But there's also competing political models at...

How far could the far right go? European elections could shift balance of power in Brussels | François PICARD

How far could the far right go? European elec...

| François PICARD | 2024

One woman is at the heart of it all: Giorgia Meloni. Italy's prime minister has proven to be a team player to mainstream partners at the EU level, while harking back to her far-right roots on the current campaign trail. Could she ...

Haiti's long wait for help: Can international police force stop gang rule? | François PICARD

Haiti's long wait for help: Can international...

| François PICARD | 2024

The unelected Henry has since handed power over to a collegial Transitional National Council, but the gangs have extended their chokehold on Haiti and the deployment of law enforcement remains on hold.We bring you an exclusive rep...

Can Israel ignore the pressure? International condemnation swells after Rafah offensive | François PICARD

Can Israel ignore the pressure? International...

| François PICARD | 2024

That war could last another seven months, says a top official in Binyamin Netanyahu's government. Israeli citizens are also traumatised by October 7 and its aftermath, but are not seeing the same images as the rest of the wor...

Only way to defend Kharkiv? France eases conditions for its weapons to target Russia | François PICARD

Only way to defend Kharkiv? France eases cond...

| François PICARD | 2024

It's in the name of Kharkiv that French President Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to Germany – with Chancellor Olaf Scholz nodding in agreement – said he would allow French missiles supplied to Ukraine to, as he put it, "ne...