This is not news. It was the same last year.

It’s the second time politics has dominated Eurovision,

Okay, this author has not been following Eurovision for very long then. Here are some that come to mind:

• 1964: Stage invader protested against Spain’s and Portugal’s dictatorships
• 1969: Organised by Spain
• 1973: Israel debuts
• 1977: BBC cameramen stike right before the contest
• 1978: Israel wins
• 1990s: Yugoslav Wars and dissolution of Soviet Union, with some countries participating while at war
• 1998: Israel wins, with a trans performer
• 2003: Invasion of Iraq, UK was allowed to participate but got last place
• 2009: Azerbaijani government interrogates people who voted for Armenia, Georgian entry is anti-Putin
• 2012: Organised by Azerbaijan
• 2014: Start of Russo-Ukrainian war
• 2016: Ukraine wins over televote favourite Russia
• 2019: Organised by Israel
• 2021: Belarusian entry being government propaganda
• 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine

Eurovision has always been political.

493 in favour, that makes me very happy to hear. Amid all the horrors of the time we live in, there are still some places where some human rights are unchallenged.

What? Now already? That’s sad.

Not every Eastern European country is like Hungary though… In fact it’s only Hungary, now that Poland’s getting a new government.

Also it’s not like Western Europe’s free of populists either.