The Times is the report Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been “banned” from addressing the 160 million people expected to watch Saturday’s Grand Final.
Ukraine won last year’s competition and, under normal circumstances, would have hosted this year. But the country is still under attack from Russia.
The EBU, which organizes Eurovision, has long taken the position that the contest should be free of politics, and although this year’s event reflects Ukrainian culture, it was felt that President Zelensky’s speech ran counter to the spirit of the contest.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and is governed by strict rules and principles that have been in place since its inception. As part of these, one of the pillars of the contest is the non-political nature of the event,” said a spokesperson.
“The request by Mr. Zielinski to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, with laudable intentions, unfortunately cannot be accepted as it would be contrary to the rules of the event.”
This is not the first time the president has rejected such a request. It was rejected by the Academy Awards in March, and Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival – which selects the Eurovision entrant – in February.
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