Moldovan TV Chief Resigns After Eurovision Jury Gave Neighbour Romania Only Three Points – and Ukraine Zero

Eurovision has an unwritten law: neighbours, and countries with strong cultural and political ties, tend to mark each other high. The Nordics do it. Greece and Cyprus do it. The former Soviet states do it. It is so predictable that academics have written learned studies about "neighbourhood voting." But rarely has the phenomenon been as explicitly acknowledged as this year, when the head of Moldova's public broadcaster felt he had to resign because his country's jury gave only three points to next-door Romania.

The same Moldovan jury gave nul points to Moldova's other neighbour, Ukraine, while awarding a maximum 12 points to Poland and 10 to Israel. The Moldovan public, whose votes also count in the contest's final result, gave the full 12 points to Romania and 10 to Ukraine. After hundreds of fans took to social media in protest, Vlad Țurcan, the director of Teleradio-Moldova, resigned on Monday. He described the jury's failure to recognise "sensitivities" between neighbours as "extraordinary" and "serious."

Țurcan added that Moldova's stance toward Ukraine is not one of zero points, and that Moldova's feelings toward Romania can only be ones of love. He said the broadcaster had distanced itself from the jury's voting, but that it was still his responsibility as head of the institution. Much of present-day Moldova was part of Romania in the early 20th century, and the two countries share deep linguistic and cultural ties. Since gaining independence in 1991, more than 850,000 Moldovan citizens have acquired Romanian citizenship. Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, even said earlier this year that she would vote for unification with Romania if a referendum were held, framing the idea partly as a way to protect Moldova's democracy, which has come under intense Russian pressure.

Margarita Druță, who announced the Eurovision results live on air, said in a video posted online that she had nearly refused to read them out. The former Moldovan defence minister Anatol Șalaru said only the public's vote – "a vote among brothers" – mattered. Alex Cozer, a political commentator, accused Teleradio-Moldova of causing "a scandal with Romania," while Moldova's culture minister, Cristian Jardan, called over the weekend for explanations for the way the seven-person jury decided to vote.

Victoria Cușnir, a member of Moldova's jury, said she regretted having accepted the invitation to be on the jury, evoking "a public lynching experience" over the vote, which she said she did not see as "an expression of anti-Romanian sentiment." The question of neighbourhood voting, she said, should be discussed from the outset if it is the most important criterion imposed on the jury.

Sandu downplayed the row on Tuesday, saying that Moldova should not allow anything or anyone to damage the relationship between the two countries. The most important part of the vote, she said, was the public's decision to give Romania its highest score.

Romania's Alexandra Căpitănescu, 22, and her rock song "Choke Me" finished third in Saturday's contest, helped overwhelmingly by the public vote. The winner was Bulgaria's Dara with "Bangaranga," followed by Israel in second place. Căpitănescu said she had no hard feelings and thanked Moldovans who had voted for her. "We aren't upset with the Moldovan jury, which scored the entries as it saw fit," she posted on social media. "It's not right for an entire nation to be held accountable for the decision of just seven people."

Moldova's contestant, Satoshi, who finished eighth, called on fans not to "fuel hatred." "Our countries have been and will remain friends," he added.

Țurcan, who was appointed director general of Teleradio-Moldova in 2021 for a seven-year term, is expected to remain in his post until a successor is chosen.

So the Moldovan jury gave Romania three points. Ukraine zero. Poland 12. Israel 10. The Moldovan public gave Romania 12 and Ukraine 10. The TV chief resigned. The jury member spoke of a "public lynching." The president called for calm. The Romanian contestant said not to blame a nation for seven people's votes. The Moldovan contestant said not to fuel hatred. And Eurovision, as always, delivered drama far beyond the stage. The songs are forgotten by July. The voting scandals live forever. In Moldova, the fallout continues. The neighbours, one hopes, will remain friends. The next jury, one hopes, will get the memo.

Written by Andreas Hofer