Eurovision 2022, live: the war in Ukraine invites itself onto the stage of the competition, the 40 participating countries are preparing to vote

For the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, the final, broadcast on France 2 on Saturday May 14, promises to offer a musical spectacle mixing rhinestones, glamour, kitsch, excess and geopolitics. As the war in Ukraine shakes the planet, the European continent in particular, bookmakers are betting on a victory for the Ukrainian folk rap group Kalush Orchestra, with its lullaby Stefania, a tribute to all Ukrainian mothers. Considered apolitical, the largest song contest in the world, which attracts nearly 200 million viewers each year, did not escape the geopolitical tensions of the time. Russia, which has participated since 1994, was excluded by the organizers the day after its invasion of Ukraine. Its ally Belarus was excluded for three years in 2021 due to the political content of the songs offered that year. On the Ukrainian side, kyiv had to issue a special authorization to the five members of the Kalush Orchestra, all men of military age, to allow them to travel to Italy. Will these international considerations prevail in the choice of professional juries? and in the public vote? France, which has not won Eurovision since 1977 despite a remarkable second place in 2021, will it manage to score points with the group Alvan & Ahez, in this competition which has become a tool for cultural diplomacy? From 9 p.m., follow the final of this 2022 edition in the company of the researcher-associate at the Geopolitics Center of HEC and Cevipof, Florent Parmentier, as well as the style columnist Marc Beaugé. The designer Urbs will sketch, in drawings, the highlights of this musical evening. To go further: The facts: Under the kitsch, the rhinestones and the sequins, the weight of geopolitics at Eurovision In retrospect: Back to the controversy that marred the final of Eurovision 2021 Analysis: What should- it, statistically, to win the Eurovision Song Contest? Video: The Eurovision songs you know without knowing it Video: Retro, nerdy, outrageous… The craziest moments of the competition