“Eurovision Controversy: Criticism of Professional Juries and Call for Fan Inclusion”

Several are critical of the system of professional juries in Eurovision. They point to sometimes very large differences in the votes from the expert jury and the public jury.

Both Norway and Finland were far behind Sweden when the Eurovision juries handed out their points, but the picture was turned upside down when the viewers had their say.

While Sweden was clearly in the lead after the professional juries had had their say – as many as 15 of the countries’ juries gave 12 points – not a single one of the participating countries gave Sweden 12 points in the public jury. Thus, it was the expert jury votes that decided that Sweden won.

Among the people, on the contrary, a total of 18 countries had Finland at the top, shows the overview from ESC Discord.

– The fans should come in

Håkon Aleksander Røssum, head of Eurovision Norway, thinks it’s a shame that the jury ruins several good artists.

– The fans should join the jury. The fans have followed all rehearsals and know everything about the artists. The EBU should get a real bowl. It is not popular that the people’s favorite does not win, he adds TV 2, according to NTB.

Martin Phillip Fjellanger, the founder of Eurovision Norway, is also unhappy. He believes the expert juries ruined Norway and Finland

– I’m starting to wonder about the competence of those on the jury. It’s pretty crazy that there are only five people on each jury, and that they have so much power, compared to ordinary people. They have ruined for Finland and Norway, Finland would have had a superb victory if not.

Finnish rage

In Finland, the disappointment is great. The charming show was predicted as one of the odds favourites, along with Norway and Sweden, among others. But second place is sour.

“A shocking disappointment,” says an editor and commentator in the major Finnish tabloid Evening newspaper.

She also points out that Finland’s chances of winning have increased with each passing day of the Eurovision circus, and that the idea that Finland could come second half a year ago would have been considered “unbelievable”.

“Every TV viewer heard as that crowd chanted and shouted Cha, Cha, Cha. The public loved Käärijä by far the most, but it wasn’t enough. It was so overwhelming that it won’t be a surprise if the rules were changed next year and that the jury doesn’t have as much power,” she writes.

Norwegian criticism

Norway was also cheated by the jury in Eurovision on Saturday.

Norway and Alessandra Mele (20) with the song “Queen of Kings” came fifth with 268 points

Norway was in 17th place after the jury votes had been counted with only 52 points. Only the Finnish jury gave Norway the full pot. But then Norway got a whopping 216 people’s points, bringing Norway up to a total of 268 points.

So it was the people and the fans that got her up the list.

– I think that it is most important to me that people have felt the message in the song. Of course it would have been nice to have more votes from the jury, but I am very pleased, says Alessandra.

The comedian is causing a stir

She also believes popular votes should count more than jury votes.

– Juries are a bit “picky”, and do they know more than people? There are people who know what is best for the soul. And I’m not saying that because I got more votes from people, but it’s because the people have something to say, says this year’s Norwegian Eurovision participant.

In any case, Sweden can look forward to hosting the singing competition again next year – 50 years after Abba won with “Waterloo”. – also that in Great Britain, then in Brighton.