The head of Moldova's public radio and television broadcaster has resigned following widespread public protests over the country's voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. Vlad Turcanu, director general of Moldovan Radio and Television, announced his resignation during a hastily-convened news conference on Monday, taking responsibility for the jury's controversial decision.
Controversial Voting Sparks Outrage
Hundreds of fans took to social media to denounce the Moldovan jury's decision to award only three points to neighbouring Romania in Saturday's contest. Moldova, which shares deep linguistic and cultural ties with Romania and was once part of the Russian empire, Greater Romania, and the Soviet Union before gaining independence in 1991, saw its jury give the maximum 12 points to Poland, which finished 12th, and 10 points to Israel, the runner-up. Bulgaria emerged as the winner.
Television viewers, whose votes also count in the final standings, awarded 12 points to Romania's entry, Alexandra Capitanescu. Outrage also erupted over the jury giving no points to Ukraine's entry.
Social Media and Political Impact
The resignation highlights the powerful role of social media in one of Europe's poorest countries. Moldova's president has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and vowed to join the European Union by 2030. Former Defence Minister Anatol Salaru wrote on Facebook: "The only thing that matters is votes by ordinary people. This was a vote among brothers. The rest is an unimportant detail."
Moldova's Eurovision entrant, Satoshi, said the mass public support for Romania "reflects the real opinion of our society." Turcanu stated, "This was my decision. We distanced ourselves from the jury's voting, but it is still our responsibility, my responsibility in the first instance, as head of this institution."
