A Monash University expert is available to comment on this year’s Eurovision song contest and the political tensions likely to play out given the current global climate.
Associate Professor Julie Kalman, Associate Professor of History, Faculty of Arts
Contact details: +613 9903 4840 or media@monash.edu
“The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the longest-running television programmes of all time. It is run by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It began in 1956, with just seven nations, and over the next sixty-seven years, it grew exponentially, both in terms of participants and viewers. Fifty-two countries have taken part in the contest, at least once, and according to the EBU, the 2023 contest reached 162 million people over the three days it was held. The EBU allows all countries within its broadcasting range to compete. This is how Israel and Turkey have participated, and how Morocco even sent a contestant in 1980.
“Although the organisers consistently deny that Eurovision is political, politics have always played out at the contest. In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EBU excluded Russia from participating. Ukraine won the contest that year, with a massive popular vote. This year, campaigners have targeted participants, putting pressure on them to boycott the contest due to Israel’s participation. It remains to be seen how this will play out at the contest itself.”
For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or media@monash.edu
