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Eurovision Song Contest: What is bloc voting and why isn't it popular?
National World - National Videos
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09/04/2025
Ahead of this year's Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, taking place in Basel, Switzerland, learn more about 'bloc voting,' what it is, how it works and why some consider it a 'dirty word' in the fair world of Eurovision.
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🎵
Music
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00:00
Ah yes, it's not that long until Eurovision 2025 taking place in
00:05
Bale in Switzerland by virtue of Nemo's The Code winning last year's. Less said about the UK to
00:12
better, eh? But for those of you who have returned once again to the wondrous European musical
00:19
extravaganza that is Eurovision, hello there, welcome back. But for those of you who might be
00:25
new to the occasion, you might be wondering what certain terms are, nul trois for example,
00:32
and the dreaded bloc voting. Ah yes, bloc voting. But you might be confused, so
00:38
what is bloc voting and why is it considered a dirty word in Eurovision?
00:43
Well, simply put, bloc voting is the perceived tendency for groups of countries to consistently
00:49
give high points to each other year after year. It suggests that factors other than
00:54
just the music can influence how countries vote, which goes against the principles of Eurovision.
01:01
Now, these blocs are often linked by things such as geography, neighboring countries, sharing
01:08
cultural similarities, culture itself, either shared languages, history or traditions,
01:14
politics, and diaspora, large populations from one country living in another.
01:21
Now, let's take a classic example, which is the voting between Greece, Cyprus, and on the odd occasion,
01:27
Malta. These countries frequently award each other top points. Why? Well, Greece and Cyprus share a strong
01:36
cultural and linguistic bond. Malta also has cultural and historic ties to the region, but it's crucial to be
01:44
clear, this doesn't automatically mean the voting is, quote unquote, unfair. These countries often send
01:52
strong entries that are legitimately popular, and it's about recognizing that other factors are at play.
01:59
So why does bloc voting matter? Well, there's a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the perception of
02:06
fairness. Now, it can raise questions about whether the best song truly wins.
02:11
It's influenced changes to the Eurovision voting system previously, like the introduction of jury
02:17
voting to balance out the televoting, and it helps us interpret the voting patterns and see the contest
02:24
in its full complexity. So the key takeaway is that bloc voting is a complex phenomenon. It's not always as
02:32
simple as good versus bad, but it's about understanding the different influences and cultures that can shape
02:38
the Eurovision results. And as much as people will say it's certainly not a political decision why
02:44
people voted that way, let's be honest, there's a reason why the UK came pretty much last after Brexit.
02:51
But you tell me, do you think bloc voting is fair or unfair? Drop a comment wherever you see this
02:56
video, and more importantly, happy run up to Eurovision everybody!
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