The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest, confirmed that the next edition of the musical contest it cannot be held in Ukraine, despite the fact that this country won the last edition last May in the Italian city of Turin.
This was announced in a statement by the organization that “fully understands the disappointment received by the announcement that the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2023 cannot be held in Ukraine, the winning country this year.”
The EBU announced on June 17 that Eurovision could not be held in Ukraine due to the situation in the country, which was invaded by Russia on February 24and announced that the organization was negotiating with the United Kingdom, which came in second place in the last contest, to organize the 2023 edition.
that decision “was based on the responsibility of the EBU to ensure that the conditions are met to ensure the safety of all those who work and participate in the eventfor which planning must begin immediately in the host country,” the organization noted.
As usual, at least 10,000 people are accredited to work on the Eurovision Song Contest, including crew, staff and journalists. Another 30,000 fans are expected to travel to the event from around the world. “Your well-being is our main concern,” the EBU added.
“Therefore, -he specifies- it is essential that the decisions made in relation to such a complex live television event are made by broadcasting professionals and are not politicized.”
The Eurovision Song Contest Rules, which are agreed upon by all participating broadcasters, clearly state that the event can be moved in a force majeure situationlike a war in progress.
“In response to the security questionnaire carried out by the EBU, a number of risks were mentioned that would affect the immediate planning of such a large event, including the serious risk of air strikes, drone strikes or missile strikes, which can cause a significant number of victims, something that was highlighted by Ukraine’s own evaluation,” he specified.
In making this decision definitive, the EBU sought the advice of security experts and took note of comments made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that the war in Ukraine “could take years”.
With regard to the possibility of holding the contest in a border area close to a neighboring country, the specifications of the venues suggested and the lack of the necessary surrounding infrastructure do not meet the required requirements.
“Taking all this into account, the EBU, with regret, made the decision to move the event to another country and will continue talks to find a suitable venue for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest”, he concluded.
The European Broadcasting Union is the world’s largest public service media alliance, representing more than 100 organisations.
The television association announced on June 17 that “will establish conversations with the BBCBritish public television, to explore the possibility of the event being held in the United Kingdom”, a country that came second in the last contest held in Turin, behind the winner, Ukraine.
The Ukrainian group Kalush, with the song “Stefania” won the last festival, followed by the British Sam Ryder, with the song “Space man”.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com