UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “disappointed” by the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision not to let Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelensky speak at the Eurovision final.
“The prime minister believes that it would be appropriate for President Zelenski to intervene in the event and we are disappointed by the EBU’s decision,” a Downing Street spokesman said on Friday, according to the newspaper ‘The Guardian’.
As London has highlighted, “the values and freedoms for which President Zelenski and the people of Ukraine are fighting are not political, they are fundamental”, and it has influenced the fact that the EBU already recognized it last year by leaving Russia out of Eurovision.
The EBU on Thursday prohibited President Zelenski from intervening in the Eurovision final, a contest held this year in the British city of Liverpool due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the winning country of the last edition.
“Eurovision is an international entertainment program that responds to strict rules and principles established since its creation,” the EBU has defended in a statement where it rejects the possibility of launching political rants even though they may have “admirable intentions.”
Ukraine won an overwhelming victory, especially by the public vote, in the 2022 edition, held just over two months after the start of the war. As runner-up, the UK offered to host the contest in 2023.
Two semifinals have already been held in Liverpool, in which tributes have been made to Ukraine with performances by artists from this country and constant mentions of solidarity without mentioning any political issue, as established by the EBU regulation.
Since the outbreak of the war, President Zelensky has not only addressed numerous international parliaments, but has also made speeches at competitions and award ceremonies.
However, there have also been precedents such as that of the EBU, since the United States Film Academy, organizer of the Oscars, also rejected the Ukrainian president’s intervention during the last two ceremonies.
