MP demands Eurovision vote change

[Tom RED]

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42926000/jpg/_42926265_younger_ross_bbc_203.jpg
The Eurovision Song Contest voting system needs to be changed because it is "harmful to the relationship between the peoples of Europe", an MP has said.
More> (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6657207.stm)

[thoth]

votes were based "largely on narrow nationalistic grounds".

No, votes are based largely on the general public opinion in the voting countries, which is in turn based perhaps partly on nationalistic grounds. A subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless.

I'm in two minds over this "block-voting", Eastern Europe domination issue. On the one hand, the Eurovision contest is an important international cooperative effort to promote a unified European cultural forum, and it should be structured so as to be accessible i.e., winnable, to all participating countries, and on the other hand, it's a humongous risible tactastic joke that we all watch and love entirely for that reason and it doesn't matter a toss who wins.

Personally, I'm not sure that an "equal" contest wouldn't end up dominated by Eastern Europe anyway. There are twice as many "eastern" nations as "western". I think that Western European nations are a little peeved that the adjective European is no longer their monopoly, and now has to be shared with former Iron Curtain nations.