It has now been a number of weeks since the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest ended, and while the contest has officially ended, conversations about what transpired in Malmo continue to occur.
The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has released an official statement in an effort to share whatever information that they can while the EBU launches a formal and independent investigation into the events of Eurovision 2024.
The statement is broken into three distinct parts:
On the Disqualification of Joost Klein
The investigation into the incident after Joost Klein’s performance in the 2nd semi-final is still pending at the Swedish Public Prosecution Service. During this investigation, we unfortunately cannot go into the details, the circumstances, and the handling of this incident because this could influence the investigation.
We can say that based on the information we had then and have now, we still believe that the disqualification was unnecessary and disproportionate.
On the EBU investigation
AVROTROS, like other participating countries, has received a request from the EBU to cooperate in an investigation. We have decided to cooperate with this, with the necessary caveats. AVROTROS believes that a broader, more in-depth, and truly independent investigation is needed to address structural problems.
Not only organization in Malmö and the EBU, but also the role and mandate of the Reference Group (the committee of delegated participating countries), the rules/procedures and appeal possibilities in the event of complaints, and the increased pressure on the artists and delegations in the run-up to and during the Song Contest should be the subject of investigation by a recognized and independent research agency.
On the Future
The Eurovision Song Contest was created to connect countries and peoples through music and to encourage mutual brotherhood. This should be the starting point for the organizers and all participating countries.
Until AVROTROS is confident that structural adjustments will be made to the artists and their musical message back in the center, we will keep participation in the Song Contest under consideration.
With this statement, the broadcaster seems to infer that non-participation could be considered for 2025 if they feel that sufficient structural changes have not been made.
According to recent statements made by Norwegian Head of Delegation Stig Karlsen – there is hope that more information from the EBU and the investigation will be supplied to delegations before July.
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