Moldovan public TV chief resigns over Eurovision ‘neighbourhood voting’ lapse

Eurovision’s tradition of “neighbourhood voting” – where neighboring countries and those with strong cultural or political ties tend to award each other high points – is well documented.

The phenomenon has been the subject of academic studies, but its influence was rarely acknowledged as explicitly as this year, when the head of Moldova’s public broadcaster resigned after his country’s jury awarded only three points to neighboring Romania.

The same jury gave zero points to Moldova’s other neighbor, Ukraine, while awarding the maximum 12 points to Poland and 10 to Israel. In contrast, the Moldovan public, whose votes also count in the final result, gave 12 points to Romania and 10 to Ukraine.

Following hundreds of fan protests on social media, Vlad Țurcan, director of Teleradio-Moldova, resigned Monday, calling the jury’s failure to recognize “sensitivities” between neighbors “extraordinary” and “serious.”

Țurcan added: “Our stance toward Ukraine is not one of zero points, and our feelings toward Romania can only be ones of love. We have distanced ourselves from the jury’s voting, but this is still … my responsibility, as head of this 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 independence in 1991, more than 850,000 Moldovan citizens have acquired Romanian citizenship.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said earlier this year she would vote for unification with Romania if a referendum were held, framing it partly as a way to protect Moldova’s democracy, which has faced intense Russian pressure.

Margarita Druță, who announced the results live on air, said in a video posted online she nearly refused to read them. Former Moldovan Defense Minister Anatol Șalaru said only the public’s vote – “a vote among brothers” – mattered.

Political commentator Alex Cozer accused Teleradio-Moldova of causing “a scandal with Romania,” while Culture Minister Cristian Jardan called over the weekend for explanations of the jury’s decision.

Jury member Victoria Cușnir said she regretted accepting the invitation, describing “a public lynching experience” over the vote, which she did not see as an expression of anti-Romanian sentiment.

The question of neighbourhood voting “should be discussed from the outset, if it is the most important criterion imposed on the jury,” she said on social media.

Sandu downplayed the row Tuesday, saying “we should not allow anything or anyone to damage the relationship between our countries.” She noted the most important part of the vote was the public’s decision to give Romania its highest score.

Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu 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, 22, said she had no hard feelings and thanked Moldovans who 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,” Căpitănescu added. 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, appointed director general in 2021 for a seven-year term, is expected to remain until a successor is chosen.