The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has reacted to Georgian and Estonian politicians that they shouldn’t get involved with whether or not a country is to participate next year. This is not a place for politics, Svante Stockselius says.
Svante Stockselius, the executive of European Broadcasting Union, announced that the Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and that politicians have no right to decide whether to boycott it or not.
Stockselius also added that he could not understand the proposal, which was made by the Estonian Minister of Culture Laine Jänes and chairman of the National Broatcasting Association, Margus Allikmaa, that Estonia could boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest finals which will be held in Moscow, after the conflict in Georgia.
"These issues should not be linked. We are organising a non-political event and if the hosting country is able to ensure the safety of the participants, there is no reason why it should not be allowed to host the finals," said Stockselius.
The EBU also offically announced that if Estonia and Georgia wish to stay away from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, it is up to those countries. Stockselius also said that there were many countries which did not participate in one year and then returned the next year. Important to him is just that politics stay out of these discussions.
