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Eurovision: Why did it reject Belarus’ participation in the competition

The political crisis in Belarus is also affecting its song contest Eurovision, after organizers rejected the country’s participation with a group opposing protests against the president Alexander Lukashenko, states the Reuters.

The song of the band Galasy ZMesta, had received 5,800 likes and more than 40,000 dislikes on the official YouTube page of the contest since Tuesday, but was withdrawn from the platform as the provocative lyrics of the song provoked the reaction of the opposition. In fact, a Member of the European Parliament called for the exclusion of Belarus from the competition – and was listened to.

The organizers of the contest rejected the song and threatened Belarus with a final ban “unless it submits a modified version or a new song soon.” “We have concluded that the song offends the non-political nature of the Competition,” said the EBU organizer.

The singer of the band Dmitry Butakov denied that the song violates the rules of the competition, even claiming that the news of the exclusion “is not new to me. “It was expected, understood,” he told Reuters. “I think our song is compatible. “They believe it is not,” he said.

Belarus’s state broadcaster has not responded to requests for comment on the song, nor has the opposition, which believes that allowing the song to be played at Eurovision could “legitimize” Lukashenko’s violent and bloody crackdown. faced mass protests after last August’s election.

«[Το εν λόγω τραγούδι] “He is making fun of the people of Belarus and what is happening in the country today,” said singer Angelika Agurbas, who represented Belarus at Eurovision in 2005.

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