Eurovision Song Contest and national rivamities

I made up the word 'rivamities' to sum up the phenomenon that we saw, once again, played out in the voting for a Song for Europe last night. Terry Wogan, on the BBC was along with the rest of us making 'uncanny' predictions for which nations gave which other nations their highest scores. For those of you less familiar with the arcane ritual of 'European' 'unity' played out each May by a huge networking of broadcast TV, each nation awards, on the basis of a national phone-in vote, points to the songs of other nations between 1 and 12 depending on the size of the phone-in votes. Most points go to the highest-scoring. And we can't shake the feeling as we see the votes come in that more than musical merit is involved. So the high scores given by the Ukraine to Russia and vice versa, the fact that the only two Rumanian-speaking nations in Europe each gave the other the highest score is interesting. So is the impression I gained that Andorra were the only nation to give Spain a top score. Even more interesting is that Balkan nations who were butchering each other a decade and a half ago now award each other the highest scores, and the Baltics, apart from honouring each other with good scores tended to be good to their old oppressors, Russia. Even Ireland were nice to the UK and Norway and Denmark have obviously put aside old animosities to the former occupying power, Sweden and Finland seem to have forgiven Russia for an early twentieth century occupation. The one that surprised Terry Wogan at first but didn't catch me unprepared was where the top score from Germany went. "Turkey?" asked Terry. Then you almost heard his brain working and he exclaimed, "Gastarbeiter!" Yes, Terry, the biggest minority ethnic group in Germany probably voted en masse for their country of origin.

Still, it makes you think about that old observation about rivalries between those who are closest being fierce but pit them against the rest of the world ... Somehow, though I think it's hopeful to see all these old enmities being overcome by such loyalties. Perhaps that's what the contest is really about. Just a shame we can't get it to be about the music, it might help improve it!
eurosong.net - Eurovision Song Contest
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