VIENNA — Questions aren’t going away for the Eurovision Song Contest. No matter the result of Saturday night’s Eurovision grand finale, the broadcasting union behind the contest is facing tough questions about how countries are cleared to compete. In a hair-raising finish last night, Bulgaria’s underdog entrant DARA leaped past Israel’s Noam Bettan to take the top prize. The earworm dance anthem “Bangaranga” earned Bulgaria its first Eurovision win, produced the biggest victory margin ever seen at the song contest, and marked the first time in almost a decade that national juries and the public chose the same winner. While this year’s final brought some incredible firsts, it also saw a repeat of last year, when Israel climbed to second place with a huge boost from the public vote. It also marks another year of the Eurovision contest that was overshadowed by controversy surrounding Israel’s participation.
Published: May 17, 2026 10:56 am
Source: politico.eu — Read original