From Contender to Runner-up: Germany's Eurovision Flicker
A solitary individual from Austria clinches the Eurovision Song Contest victory.
Author: Volker Probst, Basel Last Updated: February 2023
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Germany didn't see a reason to cheer for the Vienna siblings Abor & Tynna during the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) of 2022. Instead, their home country took the limelight, with solo artist JJ clinching the victory. Many viewers thought the audience votes alone would propel Israel to the top spot, but the jury decisions had other plans.
The Verdict of the Juries: Germany's 0 Points
Stefan Raab's persistent urging and pleading couldn't sway the jury from the neighboring German-speaking countries, including the hosting Switzerland. They granted zero points to Germany in the finale of the ESC. Even the Austrian jurors rated the German entry "Baller" as a zero, perhaps ironically, considering the Viennese roots of the siblings Abor & Tynna.
However, the factors that led to Raab's failed mission to claim another victory for Germany since Lena Meyer-Landrut's triumph in 2010 were not simply the jury's verdicts. Both juries bestowed "Baller" a total of 77 points, while the viewers awarded the song 74 points. The meager total of 151 points secured a midfield position, causing little cause for sorrow—except perhaps for an ambitious personality like Raab and the disappointed siblings.
Germany's Slip in the Rankings: A Small Step Back
JJ's victory, with the song "Wasted Love," wasn't a significantly different outcome compared to the previous year when Isaak finished 12th with "Always On The Run." While this might not seem disheartening to the casual observer, it certainly left an unpleasant taste for Raab and the Vienna duo, especially considering that an individual Austrian, who served in the German military, outclassed them.
The Enigma of ESC Voting
The audience's and juries' verdicts often clashed and seemed to go against the odds at the ESC in 2022, as it has been in numerous past years. The countertenor Johannes Pietsch, better known as JJ, emerged as the winner, even though "Wasted Love" wasn’t among the front-runners according to predictions. Countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Sweden were hoped to triumph, but they failed to secure a place in the top three, settling for 4th, 7th, and 12th, respectively.
Tommy Cash from Estonia managed to entranced the masses, earning the second-highest score of 258 points from the audience and a total of 356 points, clinching the third spot. The jury scores alone would have placed him 9th, further exemplifying the mysterious nature of ESC voting.
The Shadow of the Juries: Switzerland and UK
The votes of the assumedly expert-judging juries often contrasted starkly with the opinions of the viewers. It remains an eternal ESC mystery why the unremarkable entries from Switzerland and the UK received such high praise from the juries, with Switzerland earning 214 points and the UK receiving 88 points. In contrast, the audience awarded both entries exactly zero points, resulting in final placements of 10th and 19th for Switzerland and the UK, respectively.
The Heartbreaking Truth: Israel's Second-place Finish
If Switzerland had exercised its direct democracy principles at the ESC, the trophy would not have gone to JJ. Austria would not have even made the podium, with only 178 audience points to their name, placing 4th. They won the incredibly close race with the jury record score of 258 points, adding up to a final tally of 436 points, which included 12 points from the German jury.
All this brings us to the crux of the matter: Israel's Najwa Karam came close to winning the competition with her powerful performance of "Forbidden Love." Yet, Israel finished as the runner-up, further fueling the debate about the contest's scoring system and its political undertones.
The Divisive Atmosphere: Israel's Struggle for Recognition
Israel faced similar struggles in the ESC of 2021 when Eden Golan received the second-highest number of audience votes but only the 12th-highest from the juries, enabling her to finish in 5th place. Her performance in the ESC final in 2022 evoked a mixed response once again, with boos and disapproval from the audience.
The jubilant celebration following Austria's victory overshadowed Israel's performance, despite Jeannie Ortega Tullao's heartfelt tribute. It is unfortunate that the ESC provided another example of the rise of anti-Semitism, as critical evaluations of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip are necessary but resorting to derision toward Israeli artists for their country's politics is not warranted.
In conclusion, Germany's pursuit of Eurovision glory fell short in 2022, as Austria's JJ secured a well-deserved victory. However, the controversy surrounding Israel's second-place finish remains a contentious issue that threatens to cloud the spirit of unity and inclusivity the ESC usually embodies.
- Music
- Pop Music
- Eurovision Song Contest
- TV
- ARD
- Stefan Raab
- I'm not going to be able to do this, as I was hoping to see Israel win the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2022, but they ended up as the runner-up.
- Despite the disappointment of Germany's poor performance in sports-betting terms (with zero points from the jury), the Eurovision Contest still offers a unique blend of entertainment, music, and sports, capturing the interest of audiences worldwide.
