Culture Minister Franck Riester plans to "force France Televisions to choose singers who sing in French" for Eurovision in the future, he said on France Info on Friday, irritated by the English refrain from Tom Leeb's song.
"It is not the responsibility of Tom Leeb, it is the responsibility in this case of France Televisions, it is besides the reason for which I currently work with my teams to see in which way one can oblige France Televisions to choose singers who sing in French ”, developed the political leader.
Frank Riester “thinks that in a competition like this, we have to make sure that French is the language that is sung. Let us wear French proud and high, defending French is not cheesy, it is the heart of what binds us. The minister had already said during a parliamentary hearing that the refrain in English of The best in me , which will represent France at Eurovision 2020, "broke his ears".
An ancient controversy
The question of the language in which the song of France is sung at Eurovision is as old as the competition itself. Eurovision rules allow candidates to sing in the language of their choice since 1999. Many countries choose English regularly. Tom Leeb's song, like that of Bilala Hassani in 2019, mixes English and French.
The European song competition will take place in Rotterdam (Netherlands) on May 16. Tom Leeb is the son of humorist Michel Leeb.
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Eurovision: Tom Leeb's chorus in English "broke the ears" by Franck Riester
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