Alessandra Mele was scheduled to award Norway’s jury votes during Saturday’s final in the Eurovision Song Contest. Now she has withdrawn from the task.
This is what NRK writes in a press release. They write this about the matter:
“Last year’s MGP winner has chosen to resign from the task on the basis of the inflamed situation that follows the music show in Malmö this year. It happens shortly before Saturday’s final.”
MALMÖ ARENA/Oslo (Nettavisen): In a new Instagram post, artist Alessandra Mele explains why she will not award points for Norway during tonight’s Eurovision final.
NRK’s channel host Ingvild Helljesen steps in at short notice.
In front of VG, Mele’s manager, Guttorm Raa, does not want to comment on the decision.
Later, Mele explains why she made the decision to retire, in a story on Instagram:
– I have decided to retire. “United by music” is Eurovision’s motto. I make music to bring people together, but right now those words are just empty words. There is an ongoing genocide going on. I ask you all to open your eyes and hearts. Free Palestine, she says.
– A plague and a scourge
Morten Thomassen is the leader of the Norwegian MGP club. He says this about Mele’s decision:
– It just shows how inflamed this is. When even such an innocent job as reading out the votes is so intense that you don’t want it on your CV, that you have had an association with this this year. Eurovision this year has become a plague and nuisance that you don’t want to be associated with, so that says everything about how wrong this has gone.
The final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is highly debated as Israel is participating in the final, due to the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.
In Norway, it has caused reactions that the editor of the Christian newspaper Dagen, Vebjørn Selbekk, used all his 20 votes for Israel. Rødt’s Mímir Kristjánsson is among those who have reacted.
“Are war and infanticide just a game for @vebjornselbekk? At the same time as the IDF moved into Rafah, a grown man is sitting in Norway and voting 20 times for Israel in Eurovision to cheer them on. What kind of perverted version of the Hunger Games is this?”, wrote Kristjánsson.
MALMÖ ARENA (Nettavisen): There is a storm around the Dutch Eurovision artist Joost Klein on Friday evening, after serious accusations that he was allegedly violent towards a female TV worker. The artist was not particularly talkative when Aftonbladet’s journalist tried to stop him in the hallway at the press centre.
Selbekk replied to Nettavisen:
– We have different views on the matter and I respect that. Kristjánsson sees it his way and I see it in a slightly different way. I want to show understanding for the Israeli side that is trying to fight the fight against terror, he says.
Read also: Reactions hail after Eurovision statement: – A simple symbolic act
Netherlands banned
At the same time, it also became known on Saturday that the Dutch participant, Joost Klein, will not be allowed to participate in the final.
It happens on the same day that it is reported that the Swedish police are investigating a complaint that a female production employee has made to the Swedish police against Klein after Thursday’s semi-final.
– While the legal process unfolds, it will not be appropriate for him to continue in the competition, ESC writes in a press release.