Galery

1

The financial crisis has claimed another victim - Greece will not participate in the Eurovision song contest. Due to the fiscal consolidation, the national broadcaster ERT is unable to bear the cost of production. Last year, the competition was held for the first time in a shopping centre instead of in an expensively furnished television studio. This year, if no sponsor is found to take over the Greek presentation, the Mediterraneans will not nominate a representative to participate in the contest for the first time in ten years.

The news is a bitter blow to Greek Eurovision fans, who live with the thrill of the music event each year, organize promotional parties and bet on who will be the next winner in the annual performance, while others approve the absence of Greece from the contest. "This is the end of Eurovision for Greece. The government rescued us from this circus," New Democracy deputy Fotini Pili commented on Twitter.

According to sources on the web, Greece has not taken part in Eurovision only five times from 1974 to date and it was due to lack of funds only once (in 2000). "We think that the national broadcaster should not participate in this year's Eurovision contest in response to the public moods of the time," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told To Vima.

It seems that Cyprus will follow the example of Greece and will save itself the participation in Eurovision. The country signed last week a bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission for financial aid amounting to 17 billion euro.

"Under today's financial conditions, the Cypriot participation of RIK (the Cypriot national television) can be seen as challenging," said the chairman of the national television and radio stations, Makis Simeou. Poland and Portugal will also be absent from the international event due to its high cost.