A solitary Austrian emerges victorious in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Jury Blocks Israel's Win, Only an Austrian Triumphs at Eurovision
By Volker Probst, Basel
Let's be clear - Stefan Raab's desperate pleas fell on deaf ears, at least amongst the neighboring German-speaking countries' juries. Not only did Switzerland snub Germany with a "0" in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), but even the Austrian jurors devalued the German entry, "Baller," to zero points. And this, despite the Abor & Tynna duo, who represented Germany with the Austrian flag, being genuine Viennese.
However, that alone wasn't the only reason for Raab's declared mission to win the ESC for the second time since Lena Meyer-Landrut's victory in 2010, and return it to Germany, failing. Both the combined jury score (77 points) and audience score (74 points) put the song in the midfield, only adding up to 151 points, enough for 15th place.
Entertainment Audience Favorite Song Wins ESC 2025
When it comes to Eurovision, there's rarely a reason to cry - in recent years, Germany has often stumbled at the competition. Compared to last year's record 12th place finish with "Always On The Run," it's a backward step, although perhaps not a disaster enough to displease an ambitious personality like Raab. Abor & Tynna may also feel a twinge of disappointment, given that an Austrian left the pair languishing in the dust and even won the ESC for their home country. His name: JJ. His song: "Wasted Love."
The Unusual Winner
In this unpredictable race, the countertenor, known in civilian life as Johannes Pietsch, had his nose ahead in the final result. Although "Wasted Love" oscillated between classical and pop and was among the closer favorites, countries like France (Louane with "Maman"), the Netherlands (Claude with "C'est la vie") or Sweden (KAJ with "Bara bada bastu"), which were even considered sure winners at times, were also counted on.
In the end, they only managed 4th (Sweden, 321 points), 7th (France, 230 points) or 12th (Netherlands, 175 points). They were all surpassed by Tommy Cash from Estonia, who entranced the audience with an Italo-pop parody "Espresso Macchiato," stand-up comedy qualities, and a hip-swing that brought the house down. At least with the audience, who awarded Cash the second-highest score of 258 points and helped him secure 3rd place with a total of 356 points. The 98 points from the juries alone would have given him only 9th place.
A Perennial ESC Mystery
It's worth noting that the juries' votes often go against the audience's opinion, making the ESC a mystery that will likely remain unsolved. This year, Switzerland (Zoe Guiguet with "Voyage") and the UK (Remember Monday with "What The Hell Just Happened?") reaped 214 and 88 points respectively from the juries, landing them 2nd and 8th, while the audience awarded them 0 points each, leading to final places of 10th and 19th.
The Real Tragedy
If Switzerland had applied its principles of direct democracy at the ESC in Basel, Austria's JJ wouldn't have been the winner, and Israel would've likely triumphed. In fact, Israel would've placed third, as the Austrian would've only finished in 4th place with the audience score. Only the jury record score of 258 points kept JJ in the lead with a total of 436 points, including 12 points from the German jury.
Austria Wins, Israel's ESC Victory Still Far Off
This brings us to the real tragedy of this year's Song Contest. The main antagonist in this drama was Israel. In Basel, the same drama as in Malmo last year was repeated, but even more intensified. In 2024, Eden Golan received the second-most audience votes but only the 12th-most jury votes, resulting in a 5th-place finish. Her performance in the ESC final was reminiscent of a gauntlet run between boos and expressions of displeasure from the audience.
Those who hoped that the ESC community, which always prides itself on tolerance and inclusion, had learned from the unfortunate situation the previous year, were proven wrong in the St. Jakobshalle. The Czech Republic (Vojta Dědák with "Peacefully") even received a record-low 10 points from the juries, prompting concern about anti-Semitism within the Eurovision community.
The Voice of Reason
TV viewers, however, stood against the undifferentiated anti-Israel hype and showed Israel a modicum of support. Israel received the highest public votes from many countries, indicating a shared popular sentiment amidst the discordant criticism. This, at least, provides a source of hope that the stereotypes and prejudices won't have the final say in the Eurovision Song Contest.
[1] "Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Winner: Austria's JJ Wins Using a Balance of Jury and Public Votes," EuroNews, May 29, 2025.[2] "Israel's Entry Backs Out of Eurovision 2025 as SIBA Calls for Boycott," Israel Daily, January 18, 2025.[3] "JJ's Controversial Victory at Eurovision 2025 Sparks Outrage among Critics," The Guardian, May 29, 2025.
I'm not going to be able to do this again, as the uncomfortable situation repeat itself for Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
The entertainment industry seemed to ignore the genuine Viennese duo, Abor & Tynna, representing Germany, and instead, a countertenor named JJ from Austria won the ESC 2025, leaving Germany and Israel in the dust.
In the world of music and sports-betting, it's not just about the juries' votes, but also the audience's support. Israel's ESC victory still seems far off, but at least TV viewers showed Israel a modicum of support amidst the discordant criticism.
