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This article first appears on Europe Day, just a few weeks before the European elections. This unique transnational democratic process will undoubtedly be met with a common collective concern: indifference, if not outright anxiety. And yet, as Europeans, it’s as if we’re in a mirror universe, with hundreds of millions of us from Barcelona to Bratislava, Stockholm (check notes) to do the same thing as Sydney (sic) – Vote! With everyone on the same continent. Mesdames et Messieurs, Eurovision!
Like the annual combine of unpredictable weirdness, vulgarity and sheer wonder, there’s nothing quite as mind-boggling yet enjoyable as Europe. Americans discovered this at a cost. Two years ago they imported the idea. It was canceled after one season. Putting aside the fact that they dragged the whole thing out over six weeks, in no universe imaginable. “Hello Texas, can you tell me how you voted?” It reveals the same historical significance and creates the spine-chilling thrill factor of “Bonsoir Baku, please vote for the Azerbaijani jury.”
It brings back memories of a Miami friend who happened to come from Paris to stay with me 10 years ago during Eurovision weekend. She’s never heard of it. I warn her that on Saturday evening my apartment will be filled with 40 hysterical people from all over waving plastic flags, writing notes in pencil on wine-stained scorecards, tweeting and ‘sharing the moment’. I did. I still remember the happy expression on her face when she woke up after watching all 26 songs and thinking, “It’s finally over.” “No, Isabelle. I told you. Not yet… Voting process!”
Like it or not (and many vehemently do so or not) it is that much It is a truly pan-continental event approaching massive scale. Europeans watch each other’s clubs play soccer. This creates stadium-level passion. But football will always be fundamentally binary. For nearly 70 years, for two hours one May evening, the entire continent has come together to look at its neighbors, each secretly thinking they are the only ones “not taking this seriously.”
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Although much ridiculed, its origins are nonetheless impeccable and actually quite heartwarming. mid 1950s, european solidarity It was still buried in the coal dust of a largely unsigned treaty. Nevertheless, countries that only a decade ago were bombing each other decided to hold a music contest that was, above all else, fun. Have everyone humming to the same tune. The dry melody had to hold together the crushing weight of a glimmer of distant hope for a better future.
Throughout the tumultuous decades of our diverse national and shared history, Eurovision has been “there” for us in a unique way. Not everyone is number 6Day April 1974 marked the beginning of the millennial music phenomenon that was ABBA. Portuguese leaders disrupted communication systems between the army, navy, and air force, making a joint rebellion impossible. It took an unexpected signal for the “Carnation” revolutionaries to take to the streets. So it was when Paulo de Carvalho wore sparkly trousers and sang on the same glamorous stage as his Swedish competitors. And after the breakup (and after saying goodbye), that was the signal these revolutionaries had been waiting for to overthrow Europe’s oldest fascist dictatorship.
Little “moments” abound. In 1981, a 20-year-old German girl with a guitar simply asked for “a little peace on our planet” and the entire continent said yes. In her recent interview with German TV, Nicole remembers her own win for a special reason. “It still moves me to this day that Israel (we know our common history, which was much closer back then) gave up to 12 points to a German girl singing a song about peace.” In 2014, homophobia seemed to have taken root throughout Eastern Europe. Nonetheless, country after country gave bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst a Bond-style revamp of the ’60s song ’12 Points’. In its inimitable way, Eurovision was doing what it alone could do. No, no, no Putin’s homophobia. Unforgettable Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra stephania Rap anthems were always going to win in 2022. The music didn’t matter. At one time in Europe, everyone often spoke the same language.
