Helsinki
Kdor poje slabo ne misli: The one who sings thinks positively… (says a proverb from Slovenia)

Is it so? Innocent songs, on the bright side of life… How could they have anything to do with geopolitics, economic interests, or rampant nationalism? Take one example – let’s say, the Eurovision, the annual European song contest. You would like to see it as the wonderful party-like celebration of “Europe-gathered-as-one”, wouldn’t you? What is it actually? A mere mild, popular, entertaining version of national and political representation through music…
In 2007, it took place in Helsinki, Finland (of course, since then, the Eurovision caravan has resumed its way until the next winning state capital). The Eurovision fuss started much before the contest itself, as each country organized its own selection. The big deal reached its peak during final and semifinal evening. The objective of the semifinal was to choose the 24 final candidates. However, because of their financial contribution to the Eurovision budget, some of the most powerful countries like Germany, France, Spain, Great Britain and Sweden could skip this part.
Now it’s D Day. After a couple of hours of glittering show, the time for voting comes. As previous years, the whole concept is based on telephone voting. Are you expecting some surprise? No way! The results are more than predictable! You think it has to do with the quality of the bands and singers? No, the betting system has much more pragmatic rules: namely, friendly connections between the participating countries. That’s the safest way. Cyprus traditionally gives the maximum amount of points to Greece and vice versa. Germany to Turkey, Ukraine to Russia, ex Yugoslavian republics one to the other, and so on…
This year winner was Serbia, with a song called “Molitva” (Prayer). The celebration was somewhat rough: flickering national flag reading “Serbia”, waving with “three fingers” (a Serbian national sign). Oh, don’t worry, all the other participants (pop singers, rockers or semi-folk musicians) did the same: they heralded their national emblems each time the camera was passing next to them.
No doubt, the festival of inter-connected, friendly Europe is more than ever the worst review of European nationalism. And the fact is: the showoff is supported by every country on large financial scale.