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The fate of the Netherlands’ participation in the Eurovision contest is at stake, after the Dutch representative failed to perform in the jury’s final on Friday evening.
Eurovoix News reported that artist Joost Klein is under investigation due to an accident Which took place off stage, and she was banned from performing on Friday while it was going on. Klein was not disqualified, and a video of his performance in Thursday night’s semifinal was used instead.
The European Broadcasting Union issued a statement saying:
“The investigation into the incident with the Dutch artist at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is still ongoing. Discussions are also taking place between the European Broadcasting Union and AVROTROS, the participating Dutch broadcaster.
“While the investigation continues, the European Broadcasting Union has decided that Jost Klein will not perform during the Dress Rehearsal 2 competition, which was voted on by juries in the 37 participating countries.
“His performance in Semi-Final 2 will be used instead.”
Eurovoix News reported that Klein’s absence on Friday came at the last minute on Friday, when the stage crew had already prepared the stage for rehearsal before the jury finale, until they were asked to move on to the next act instead.
Klein, whose song “Europapa” became one of the competition’s surprise hits, is being investigated after a physical altercation between him and a photographer, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT, which says police are now investigating the matter. The EBU hopes this will be completed quickly, so a decision can be made on Klein’s participation in tonight’s grand final.
This is an additional challenge for a competition already mired in controversy over Israel’s participation. While Israeli entrant Eden Golan reached the semi-finals on Thursday and is now second favorite to win the competition, protests outside the venue have attracted nearly 12,000 people, protesting Israel’s inclusion in the multinational event.
