Poland slams EBU’s decision on Eurovision
Warsaw does not agree with the decision of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to deprive Ukraine of the right to host Eurovision 2023 and supports Kiev’s position on the need to discuss options with Ukraine.
Ukraine’s 2022 Eurovision Song Contest winner Kalush OrchestraPAP/Jens Büttner
Polish culture minister on Saturday expressed his disappointment with the decision of the Eurovision Song Contest’s organisers who had announced talks with the UK to host the next year’s event instead of Ukraine due to the war in the country.
Piotr Gliński in a statement said that he regrets that the EBU „has arbitrarily taken away from the Ukrainian public broadcaster AU:PBC the right to organise the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.”
The statement published on the ministry’s website was also signed by the CEO of the Public Polish Television (TVP) Jacek Kurski.
„We support the position of the AU:PBC and the Ukrainian authorities, in which they call for further negotiations on the contest’s organisation with the participation of the winning country of this year’s Eurovision,” the statement reads.
When Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra last month took home the Eurovision top spot with the song „Stefania” alluding to the conflict in their homeland, it was expected that according to the event’s long-standing tradition the winning country would host the contest the following year.
Notwithstanding, the EBU on Friday said that the war-torn country does not meet the necessary guidelines to stage and produce the event.
„The EBU … share their sadness and disappointment that next year’s contest cannot be held in Ukraine,” the Eurovision Song Contest said.
„It is our full intention that Ukraine’s win will be reflected in next year’s shows,” it added.
Ukraine’s Culture Minister of Oleksandr Tkachenko opposed the decision.
„Ukraine does not agree with the nature of such a decision — when we are confronted with the fact without discussion on other options,” he said in a statement. „But we strongly believe that we have every reason to hold further negotiations in order to find a joint solution that will satisfy all parties.” he added.
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Source: PAP
