Austrian victorious in Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision 2025: Austria Triumphs over Israel despite Public Favorites

Austrian victor in the Eurovision Song Contest

By Volker Probst, Basel

Austria'sUnknown Artiste JJ clinches the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, leaving Germany and their Viennese representatives, Abor & Tynna, far behind. The Eurovision audience's preference for Germany couldn't secure them the win, while Israel's Yuval Raphael, with wider public support, settled for second place.

Unanticipated Victory for Austria

Even the Viennese siblings Abor & Tynna were unable to inspire Germany's cheers at the Eurovision. Instead, it was their home country, Austria, that emerged victorious with JJ. The televised audience alone may have placed Israel at the lead. However, the juries' votes paint a different picture.

Stefan Raab's many pleas and entreaties failed to sway the neighboring German-speaking countries' juries in the Eurovision final. Neither did they offer Germany any points. In fact, Austria rated Germany's performance as "Baller" a zero, even though Abor & Tynna carried the German flag onto the stage.

Yet, this wasn't the sole reason for Germany's failure to win yet another Eurovision. The juries awarded "Baller" a total of 77 points, including 12 each from the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The combined 151 points were enough only for a 15th-place finish.

A Ripple of Disappointment amidst the Overture of "Wasted Love"

In itself, this isn't a cause for excessive lamentation, given Germany's fairly consistent performance at Eurovision. Compared to last year, when Isaak came in 12th with "Always On The Run", it is a minuscule setback. Perfectionist Stefan Raab and Abor & Tynna might find this less than satisfactory, especially since they were bested by an individual Austrian, JJ, also known as Johannes Pietsch, who won his home country the contest with "Wasted Love."

A Chance for Germany Forgotten

In a competition known for its unpredictability, it was the countertenor JJ who came out tops in the final accounting. Although "Wasted Love," a song that oscillates between classical and pop, was among the favorites, other contenders like France, the Netherlands, and Sweden were also in the running. They ultimately fell behind, finishing in 4th (Sweden), 7th (France), and 12th (Netherlands), respectively.

Tommy Cash from Estonia managed to overtake them all, garnering 258 points from the audience with his Italo-pop parody "Espresso Macchiato," stand-up comedy skills, and an infectious hip-swing. His total score of 356 points secured him 3rd place. Without the audience's votes, he would have landed in 9th place.

The Eurovision Enigma: Jury vs. Public Votes

Jurors and public votes often tell contrasting stories at Eurovision, and this tradition continues. The Swiss jury, for example, awarded 214 points to Zoe Guetta, placing Switzerland's "Voyage" in 2nd, while the public voted her 0 points, leading to a 10th-place finish. The same was true for the UK, where Remember Monday garnered just 88 points from the juries, resulting in 8th place, while the public awarded them 0 points, landing them in 19th.

The Unsurmountable Obstacle

Israel's Yuval Raphael would have won the competition if Switzerland had stuck to its direct democracy principle at the Eurovision in Basel. With only 178 public points, she would have secured a 4th-place finish. However, her jury record score of 258 points guaranteed her the victory, with a total of 436 points, including 12 points from the German jury.

The Perpetual Dilemma: Israel and Eurovision

This confirms the tragic reality of Eurovision 2025. As expected, Israel was at the heart of the drama in Basel. The situation mirrored last year's in Malmo, but with a more poignant twist. In 2024, Eden Golan received the second-highest number of public votes but only the 12th-highest from the juries, placing her in 5th. The turnout at her performance was a gauntlet run between boos and expressions of displeasure from the audience.

Those who believed the ESC community, renowned for its tolerance and inclusivity, had learned from the shameful 2024 event and that the clocks would tick differently in Switzerland were proven wrong. The juries awarded Yuval Raphael a mere 60 points, placing her 14th. This made it seem as if she had no chance, but when the public votes were revealed—297 points, including 12 from Germany—it became clear that she had indeed won the public vote and had a chance at victory.

Controversy and Celebration: Post-Eurovision Fervor

The final showdown between JJ and Yuval Raphael was marked by deafening "Austria" chants. When JJ's victory became apparent, the crowd erupted in joyous cheering that was both unsettling and unsettling for those not Israeli and not holding Israeli flags. Another jolt came when a journalist at the post-event press conference expounded his gratitude to JJ for "saving us all." The Austrian was also celebrated for being the third consecutive openly queer ESC winner, after Loreen and Nemo.

The Unfortunate Reality: Eurovision, Anti-Semitism, and Israel

The Eurovision Song Contest offers a striking example of the strengthening of anti-Semitism. While critical engagement with Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip is necessary and justified, the scorn directed at an Israeli singer for her country's politics at the ESC in Basel is far from it.

Despite the public's preference for Germany and Israel, Austria's JJ clinched the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, leaving Germany far behind and Israel settling for second place.
The victory for Austria was unexpected, as the public votes alone might have placed Israel at the lead, but the juries' votes painted a different picture.
Stefan Raab's pleas to the neighboring German-speaking countries' juries fell on deaf ears, with Austria giving Germany's performance a zero, despite Abor & Tynna carrying the German flag onto the stage.
The Eurovision Song Contest continues to display a contrast between jurors and public votes, with Israel's Yuval Raphael finishing second due to strong jury votes, despite a lack of public support.