Moldova's public broadcaster has distanced itself from the jury's controversial decision at Eurovision
Moldova’s national public broadcaster, Teleradio-Moldova, has officially stated that the national jury’s scores at the Eurovision Song Contest do not reflect the company’s own position.
This is stated in a press release from Teleradio-Moldova, Moldova’s national broadcaster.
The organization was forced to issue a statement following a wave of public outrage over the low scores given to Romania’s representative.
Although Moldovan viewers gave the neighboring country nearly the maximum score, the professional judges awarded it only three points.
The company’s management attempted to reassure the public, which had accused the broadcaster of bias and a lack of transparency in the scoring.
The media network’s executives emphasized that the selection of the judging panel was conducted in accordance with clear international standards.
They stated that they “took note of the significant public interest in the selection criteria for the national jury, as well as in the scores it awarded to the participating countries” in the contest.
The broadcaster emphasized that during the selection process, the jury followed the regulations established by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The organizers separately emphasized their complete autonomy from the direct process of scoring the performers.
To prevent any fraud or outside interference in the scoring process, an independent legal observer was brought in.
At the same time, Teleradio-Moldova itself “in no way influenced the jury’s decision, which was made independently.”
Moreover, they state that they sought to ensure the transparency of the process by appointing a notary to oversee the voting.
Such a discrepancy in the votes caused serious misunderstanding due to the traditionally close cultural ties between the two countries. The situation seemed particularly acute given how enthusiastically the Romanians themselves had voted.
Criticism in Moldova arose from the fact that Romania—both the national jury and the viewers—awarded Moldova’s representative, Satoshi, the maximum 12 points.
Meanwhile, the Moldovan jury awarded Romania’s representative, Alexandra Capitanescu, only 3 points, in contrast to Moldovan viewers, who gave her 10 points.
“We emphasize that the final result in no way reflects the institution’s position,” the statement added.
The scandal quickly moved from the purely musical realm to the highest state level, forcing government officials to respond. The relevant ministry also demanded a full report and detailed explanations from those responsible.
Moldova’s Minister of Culture, Cristian Jardan, also joined the outcry, stating that he wants an explanation for the low score given by the Moldovan jury, according to NewsMaker.
The official seeks to distinguish between the ministry’s policy and the failures of individual managers who were responsible for accompanying the delegation. He emphasized that the ministry acted solely as a partner and assistant, not as a censor.
Eurovision organizers have denied rumors about Russia’s possible return
Eva Marija will represent Luxembourg in the second Eurovision semi-final today. Her musical journey began at the age of three—after she witnessed Oleksandr Rybak’s victory with the song “Fairytale” at Eurovision 2009.
23-year-old Daniel Zizka will represent the Czech Republic in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The young artist is already being called one of the most promising new voices on the Czech music scene.
SIMÓN will represent Armenia in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The artist has come a long way from being a dancer in show business to becoming one of the country’s most prominent young singers.
Veronica Fusaro will represent Switzerland in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The singer has long been hailed as one of the strongest and most recognizable voices on the contemporary Swiss music scene.
Antigoni will represent Cyprus in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The singer has long been building her career between London, Cyprus, and the Greek music scene, and now she is taking the stage at one of Europe’s biggest events.
