On May 13, 2018, Madame Monsieur represents France at Eurovision

• On the occasion of its 20th anniversary,

  20 Minutes

  shares with you the most striking memories of its journalists.

• Today Eurovision 2018 where Jean-Karl Lucas and Emilie Satt, alias Madame Monsieur, represented France with the song

  Mercy

  .

• From January to May, from the TV studios of La Plaine-Saint-Denis in Lisbon,

  20 Minutes

  accompanied the duo in this musical and human adventure.

2018, May 13.

“I was born this morning, my name is Mercy.

They reached out to me and I'm alive.

It is past midnight in Lisbon (Portugal) and, with these words, inspired by the birth of a baby on

, a ship helping migrants in the Mediterranean, Madame Monsieur ends up in 13th place, out of 26, of Eurovision.

Right in the middle of the ranking, as a reflection of the European divide on the subject of refugees.

I have covered the competition for

since 2015 and each edition is a whirlwind of emotions, moments of stress and excitement, of which I have a thousand memories.

2018 has a special place in my heart.

From the selection in

to the final of the competition, via the concerts in Tel-Aviv (Israel) and Amsterdam (Netherlands), I accompanied Madame Monsieur everywhere for various reports.

Emilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas, a couple in town and a duo on stage, even gave me their daily diary during the week of the event.

I was the privileged witness of the effect produced by their human and humanist song.

Will Ferrell's Validation

I remember those passers-by in Tel-Aviv who, a month before the competition, recognized the duo in the street and gave them their encouragement.

A few weeks later, during a show in Amsterdam, Emilie being unwell, SuRie, the British candidate had replaced her at short notice alongside Jean-Karl.

She had learned the English lyrics within hours.

Wherever

was sung, the French candidacy aroused enthusiasm and compliments.

In Lisbon, in the press room, many foreign colleagues believed in a French victory and greeted me with "See you in Paris next year!"

»

“I find the song very good, the message strong.

I could vote for him “, even told me the American actor Will Ferrell, crossed unexpectedly behind the scenes of Eurovision – he was then in full preparation of a film for Netflix.

Regardless of the result, the song entered the history of the competition and touched the public.

Little Mercy is 5 years old this year.

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