Latest news with #KatiaSegers
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Israel's Eurovision result prompts questions over voting
Israel's success in the public vote at last weekend's Eurovision Song Contest has prompted calls from a string of countries to examine the results and voting system. Singer Yuval Raphael came top of the viewer vote on Saturday with her ballad New Day Will Rise, but finished second overall to Austria when jury scores were also taken into account. Broadcasters in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Iceland and Finland have since raised concerns or questions about the public vote, with some requesting an audit. Eurovision organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said the vote had been independently checked and verified, that they took any concerns seriously. Israel was ranked joint 14th by the national juries, but shot up the leaderboard thanks to the results of the phone and online vote. Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom were among the countries whose viewers awarded Israel the maximum 12 points, with Ireland and Finland giving 10. Irish broadcaster RTE has asked for a full breakdown of the voting from organisers. That came after Spanish broadcaster RTVE said it would request an investigation of the results and a review of the televoting system. Viewers can currently vote up to 20 times each by phone, text or app. Katia Segers, a Flemish MP, said: "A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation. "Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated." A spokesperson for Flemish public broadcaster VRT said: "We have no indication that the counting of the televotes wasn't carried out correctly, but we are asking for complete transparency on the part of the EBU. "The question is above all whether the current system guarantees a fair reflection of the opinion of viewers and listeners." Finland's YLE said: "We will definitely ask the EBU whether it is time to update these rules or at least examine whether the current rules allow for abuses." On Tuesday, Dutch public broadcasters Avrotros and NPO issued a statement saying the contest was "increasingly influenced by societal and geopolitical tensions". Israel's involvement "raises the question of whether Eurovision still truly functions as an apolitical, unifying, and cultural event", they said. Spanish PM calls for Israel ban at Eurovision Eurovision 2025: Austria wins with last-minute vote, as the UK comes 19th Eurovision: 'What the Hell Just Happened' to the UK entry? In response, the contest's director Martin Green said organisers were "in constant contact with all participating broadcasters" and "take their concerns seriously". "We can confirm that we have been in touch with several broadcasters since Saturday's Grand Final regarding voting in the competition," he continued. There will now be a "broad discussion" with participating broadcasters "to reflect and obtain feedback on all aspects of this year's event", he said. "It is important to emphasise that the voting operation for the Eurovision Song Contest is the most advanced in the world and each country's result is checked and verified by a huge team of people to exclude any suspicious or irregular voting patterns. "An independent compliance monitor reviews both jury and public vote data to ensure we have a valid result. "Our voting partner Once has confirmed that a valid vote was recorded in all countries participating in this year's Grand Final and in the Rest of the World." Eurovision News, which is operated by the EBU, said an agency of the Israeli government paid for adverts and used state social media accounts to encourage people to vote for the Israeli entry. Mr Green said that did not break the rules.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Overhaul of Eurovision voting system next year amid 'vote-rigging' complaints
Belgium has threatened to pull out of next year's contest unless the current system - which is open to 'manipulation' - is changed Big changes are expected to the Eurovision voting system next year after a string of complaints to organiser the European Broadcasting Union over potential vote-rigging. It comes after Israel finished in second place having won the public vote by a massive margin. Several countries have now claimed that the current system, in which individuals can vote up to 20 times from one device, is open to 'manipulation' and have demanded an investigation. RTVE, Spain's public broadcaster, and VRT, the Flemish public broadcasting company, are leading the drive for new rules, backed by Slovenia, Iceland, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland. It comes after Israel and Ukraine each won their semi-final, which are 100% decided by the public televote, with Israel then finishing second overall. Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October attacks by Hamas, scored a total of 357 points to come runner-up with her song New Day Will Rise. Belgium was so incensed by the way the votes stacked up, they announced an intention to pull out next year 'unless the voting system at the contest changes'. The nation called for an investigation after Israel received 12 points from the Belgian public despite getting zero from the jury, made up of music industry professionals. It was the same story for Spain and the UK, where the result was met with widespread surprise given the ongoing war in Gaza. Flemish MP Katia Segers said: 'A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation. Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated.' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for Israel to be excluded from the contest, as Russia has been, saying: 'There can be no double standards.' The EBU's Martin Green gave assurance that the voting system used was 'the most advanced in the world ' but added: 'We remain in constant contact with all participating broadcasters of the Eurovision Song Contest and take their concerns seriously.' One UK source said a return to the juries having a 50/50 vote at the semi-final stage, alongside the public, was now a likely outcome, along with a reduction in the number of votes allowed from each device. 'They can't continue with the fiasco of televoting in its current form,' they said. 'The public are voting for political reasons and it makes a mockery of the ESC being a supposed music competition. 'Juries are clearly voting Israel down to try to avoid a politically-motivated win, which undermines the whole contest. It's a shambles.' Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision provoked an angry backlash, coming after weeks of humanitarian aid being denied in Gaza, leading to thousands of Palestinian deaths. Protestors threw paint and tried to storm the stage during Yuval's performance in Basel, Switzerland. An open letter denouncing Israel's entry and calling for the country to be banned was signed by 4,000 musicians, artist and music industry professionals from five Nordic countries. UK fans were dismayed after Remember Monday scored the dreaded 'nul points' in the public televote and finished in 19th place. Referring to the UK being one of the 'big 5' nations which pay for the competition and in return are guaranteed a place in the final, one said: 'It's time to stop funding this total farce.'
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Eurovision ‘rigged' in favour of Israel
Eurovision has been accused of allowing vote-rigging that led to Israel unexpectedly coming second in this year's competition. The national broadcasters for Spain and Belgium have complained to the competition's organisers after Israel won the public vote by a large margin. RTVE, Spain's public broadcaster, and VRT, the Flemish public broadcasting company, are calling for organisers to investigate the televoting system following a surge in support for Yuval Raphael, Israel's contestant who ended up winning 357 points. The country finished in second place after Austria's JJ, who received 436 points for his song Wasted Love. The competition's entrants receive points from a professional jury from each country, as well as from a public vote. The maximum amount of points to receive from any country's jury or the public is 12. Belgium and Spain's televoters both awarded Israel 12 points, despite the juries giving the country zero points. Viewers at home can vote up to 20 times for a small cost charged to each vote by text or phone call. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the competition, confirmed Spain and Belgium's broadcasters had been in touch and insisted they take the complaints 'seriously'. Katia Segers, a Flemish parliamentarian, said: 'A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation. 'Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated.' She added: 'The VRT must take the lead in requesting this investigation. And in holding the debate on the televoting system within the EBU, and on Israel's participation.' Martin Green, the director of Eurovision, said: 'It is important to emphasise that the voting operation for the Eurovision Song Contest is the most advanced in the world and each country's result is checked and verified by a huge team of people to exclude any suspicious or irregular voting patterns. 'An independent compliance monitor reviews both jury and public vote data to ensure we have a valid result.' He added: 'We remain in constant contact with all participating broadcasters of the Eurovision Song Contest and take their concerns seriously.' Israel's participation in Eurovision for a second year running amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and investigation for war crimes by the International Criminal Court has provoked political debate across the continent. Ms Raphael, who is a survivor of Hamas's assault on the Nova music festival on Oct 7, 2023, was disrupted in her final performance in Basel, Switzerland, by pro-Palestine protesters who tried to storm the stage. It followed protests calling for a boycott of the competition as well as an open letter published a week before the contest which featured more than 70 previous Eurovision contestants calling on the organisers to ban Israel and its broadcaster KAN. During Saturday's grand finale, Spanish broadcaster RTVE came under fire after they took a stand against Israel's inclusion during their country's broadcast. For 16 seconds, viewers saw a black screen with white lettering in Spanish and English that read: 'When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine.' EBU's Mr Green added: 'We can confirm that we have been in touch with VRT and RTVE since Saturday's Grand Final regarding voting in the competition. 'Now the event has concluded we will have a broad discussion with participating broadcasters, to reflect and obtain feedback on all aspects of this year's event as part of our planning process for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest next year.' A spokesman from VRT said they had 'no indication' the vote count was incorrect, but said: 'The main question is whether the current voting system guarantees a fair reflection of the opinions of viewers and listeners. 'VRT notes that the Eurovision Song Contest, as it is currently organised, has become less and less of a unifying and apolitical event.' The spokesman added: 'VRT calls for full transparency from the EBU about the rules and voting … without a serious answer to our concerns regarding the Eurovision Song Contest, we do question future participation.' The Telegraph has contacted RTVE for comment.
