Enhancing Eurovision political tricks

Europe celebrates this week the most spectacular of all soft power activities: The Eurovision Song Contest. The final will take place on 12 May in Lisbon, after two semifinals, on May 8th and 10th. After performances filled with last year's political burden on Ukraine, the focus is expected to be more on music.

But there is still much material on the Brussels debates since the songs, which affect major topics such as the refugee crisis, movement #MeToo and terrorism, to a debate over a <x0->Electron electronic agreement and spectacular English-language attraction.

Most of the editions are less political than the old one, when Russia withdrew because their singer, Julia Samoylovova, had earlier visited the conquered Crimea. It will compete this year. Ukraine hosted the festival after winning the song “1944”, a song about the Tatars ' forced expulsion from Stalin to Asia in the sun.

This time, the race has moved to Lisbon, thanks to Salvador Sobral's song “Amar Pelos Dios”, a melancholic jazz waltz, for passing a heartbreaking, which means the pendulum is returning towards a race that focuses all on music.

The Portuguese bongs have been the most political in Eurovision history, from some songs that criticised the dictatorship of the 1960s and 70s, to the song that was the signal for the Karafils Revolution”, explains Dean Vuletic of Vienna University, author of “Post-war Europe and Eurovision Festival”. “But they've always been dominant Portuguese internal issues I find ironic that the Portuguese edition of Eurovision is so unpolitical”.

However, it is not that the race exists in the vacuum: many songs have political themes. Israel's song, “Toy”, sung by Netta Barzillai, is currently one of the favourites. It includes words like: “Greae of miracles, never forget /You're divine, and he'll repent” and “

“It's a song expressing my wife's strength, and I'm very proud to sing it, because I know that many women feel the pressure to be, the one that asks them to associate”, Barzillai told Tagesspiel.

According to the Eurovision blog, song writer Doron Medalia said in a recent interview about an Israeli radio, that the song has a strong connection to movement #Meto. More concrete is the Portuguese broadcaster's choice to have all women present this year.

France's song, “Mercy” from the electro duo, Madame Monsieur, deals with the refugee crisis. It tells the story of Mercy, a baby born in March 2017 aboard Aquariius, a humanitarian ship of the SOS Méditranée association. People with life jackets in water and emergency blankets appear in the video. Malta deals with something similar, and many other countries have messages to convey.

“The Italian nation is talking about terrorism, but these topics you can also see in the Danish, the Icelandic, Swiss, all have anti-war attitude”, says Vuletic. The Danish “Speaking also of the peaceful resolution of conflicts, it is inspired by a Viking legend, Magnus Erlandson”. You can't learn about the 12th century Orcney King, seeing “X Special”.

There is little debate in Ireland. And it's not like it was 30 years ago for the gay couple dancing on video. It's about using a song writing factory to create “Together”, sung by Ryan O'Shaughnessy. Emerald Island has a record Eurosong victory, but this year the odds are 200 to 1.

There are 43 countries competing, thus taking the 2008 and 2011. Of these, 26. Those dealing with predictions see Israel, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic as favourites.

Belgium also has chances: in a typical Belgian style, the country shifts annually between French-language broadcasters and flamingos, sending one each year. This year, VRT, flaminga-language television sends Sennek with “A mater of time”.

There are other arguments you might want to lift if you happen to be at a party full of diplomats: In particular, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban raises his hair on officials in Brussels with his policies, Hungary goes against power this year, sending the only metal songs. AWS, which describes itself as the modern metal group “with the right behavior”, will sing “Viszlát nyar,”, inspired by the death of the singer's father, in words describing the war and thoughts of a dying man.

Another interesting thing: As the debate on the role of English continues as a language in European institutions after Britain's release, there are many songs this year sung not in the global franca, (between them and Albania). Last year's winner was sung in Portuguese, showing that it can be done. This year there are 13 non - English songs, compared to only 4 years ago. Could it be the sign of a French - speaking continent that anyone wants to see? /Take with cuts from politicco.eu ) In Albanian from The world..