How Finland almost stole the Eurovision

How Finland almost stole the Eurovision

News

norman lebrecht

May 14, 2023

The stage was all set for Sweden’s Loreen to cruise to Eurovision victory for a second time. She was 170 points clear of the field after the national jury votes, Then a 376-ballot surge in the popular vote placed Finland’s “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärijä suddenly well ahead.

How did that happen?

Is there some Finnish phone code for influencing Euro votes? The Finns did, after all, pioneer the mobile phone.

If this was a proper election, there would be an investigation.

Meanwhile, the bland song won. Again.

Comments

  • Jean says:

    Finland won Eurovision fan club’s public votes clearly prior to the semi finals.

    Wiwibloggs:

    >>
    Full results: Who should win Eurovision 2023?

    Finland 20.71%, 4,175 votes
    Sweden 12.71%, 2,561
    Israel 5.92%, 1,193
    >>

    They also won the 1st semi finals, so it didn’t come out of the blue…

  • Goldberg Variations says:

    And the public vote has been extended to the rest of the world, which creates opportunities for manipulating the vote even more. What a can of worms. Can we expect only Chinese-approved winners in future? Think TikTok but with sequins.

  • Carl says:

    Agreed, this song is completely unmemorable. I don’t get it. And her costume is weird but not in a fun, Eurovision-y way.

    For those of us classical fans, at least Finland’s talent made sense given what we know of their music education system. I was personally pulling for Spain and maybe Moldova. But bland does win out in this event.

  • Emil says:

    How did it happen? Finland had a catchier song, that’s all. Jury and popular votes diverging is not a mystery – Eurovision plays it up every year. Norway had the same thing this year, Sweden’s John Lundqvist was crushed by it in 2019, Keeino from Norway got that treatment a few years back. No investigation to be had, they’re literally two separate scores polling different groups of people.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Kitsch and soy, from beginning to end. I wondered how it would all be without the lights and special effects!!

  • La plus belle voix says:

    Sweden won because the country is not (yet) part of NATO. Look at the map.

  • Tony Sanderson says:

    It was the fingernails wot won it.

  • Peter San Diego says:

    I am content to have ignored Eurovision completely since its inception.

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