Eurovision: "We are too franchouillard", believes a former candidate who became a Member of Parliament

INTERVIEW

"We are too stamped with France at Eurovision."

Former candidate, since become Member of Parliament for Sarthe, Pascale Fontenel-Person estimated, Friday on Europe 1, that if France has not won Eurovision since 1977, it is because "we are not enough Eurovision ".

A shared opinion a few hours before the French selection for the international song contest.

Twelve candidates are in the running to represent France at the ceremony in the Netherlands next May.

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"We can't take the leap"

"I think we have a lot of trouble," explains the one who, in 1987, was one of the ten finalists in the selections.

"When I look at the artists who are in the running this year, we are not enough Eurovision", she continues.

Barbara Pravi, Andriamad, Casanova, Céphaz ... In general, Pascale Fontenel-Person believes that the problem with the French selection is that "we are still a little too frank".

According to her, "Europe is international, and we can't take the leap."

If she justifies this by the fact that few French artists are known abroad, the member for Sarthe adds that this can also be explained by the proximity of the singers to their texts.

"We are artists who love words, and it is not always easy to pass those words at the time of Eurovision, in front of countries where we do not speak our language."

The opportunity to relaunch the debate on the language of interpretation of songs.

In 2020, the French candidate, Tom Leeb had to rename his song initially titled 

, in

after a controversy that went up to the Minister of Culture.