On May 16th, Vienna, the capital of Austria, will host the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision was founded in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union and is broadcast live by around 30 countries worldwide, with an audience of approximately 160 million viewers. Despite being seen by some as kitschy and flashy, the Eurovision has evolved from just entertainment to a geopolitical platform over the years, reflecting contemporary tensions.
Why is the Eurovision still seen as a soft power tool for many participating countries? How has a competition that was meant to be unifying become a stage for identity or linguistic rivalries, exclusions, or diplomatic maneuvers? What remains of its original goal of promoting European peace? Is the Eurovision now just a showcase of global pop culture, or does it still offer a space for shared experiences amidst competition from global platforms? Why have researchers chosen to study it? These questions are debated by experts Florent Parmentier, a geopolitical specialist, and Cyrille Bret, a philosopher and researcher at the Jacques Delors Institute, both teaching at Sciences Po. Their book “Geopolitics of Eurovision, the soundtrack of European construction” has been published by Bréal editions.
/2026/04/24/69eb6bbaeb005611327839.jpg "Michelle Bachelet, Rafael Grossi, Macky Sall… Who are the four candidates in the running to lead the UN in 2027?")
