Conservative Swiss oppose the ESC
The Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö this year is casting dark clouds over the prospect of the event taking place in Switzerland in 2025. Conservative forces are gathering opposition against the hosting of the Mega-Event in Switzerland, and they are running counter-current.
Two months after Switzerland's victory at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), resistance is growing against the staging of the event in Switzerland in 2025. "The Eurovision Song Contest is a disgusting propaganda platform", criticizes the conservative-Christian party EDU in X. They want to prevent the use of public funds in all cities that have applied for the event through a popular vote. To force a referendum, 2000 signatures are required in each city.
"I believe there is criticism from these circles due to the perception of this event as a queer event", says Thomas Widmer, a political scientist from Zurich, to SRF.
Nemo, who won this year as a non-binary person for Switzerland, is advocating for the recognition of a third gender in official documents in Switzerland, as well as in Germany and other countries. Non-binary people do not see themselves represented in the categories "Female" or "Male".
"On the national level, these progressive movements, such as the queer movement, challenge many certainties of the national understanding, resulting in a tension field", said Widmer.
Four Cities in the Race
The EDU criticizes that the ESC fuels discussions on gender identity. The EDU is a very small party, it has only two representatives in the national parliament. However, the Federal Taxpayers' Association and some local branches of the strongest party SVP are also against the ESC.
Four cities have applied: Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and Bern. Bern plans to organize the event in cooperation with Nemo's hometown Biel. All potential host cities offer financial support, but also expect income for the local economy and advertising for their location. Zurich, for example, has announced a million-credit. The decision will be made at the end of August, and the event is planned for May 2025.
Nemo received the trophy at the annual ESC in Malmö. The event in Sweden was also politically heavily charged, but for completely different reasons. Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli, and antisemitic forces protested against Israel's participation in the Song Contest. Several performers and performers, including the Dutch Joost Klein, also heckled the Israeli participant on stage.
- Despite Switzerland's triumph at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Malmö, there's growing opposition against hosting the event in 2025, with the conservative-Christian party EDU criticizing it as a "disgusting propaganda platform".
- Four cities in Switzerland, including Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and Bern, have applied to host the ESC in 2025, with each city offering financial support and expecting income for the local economy and advertising for their location.
- The controversy surrounding the ESC in Switzerland overshadows the positive aspects of the event as a platform for music, entertainment, and Pop music, with critics highlighting its perceived association with discussions on gender identity and the queer movement.
