Just in time for the final, the phrase has started to feel really worn but: this year's Eurovision song contest has been more political than in a long time.

For those who did not join in: Russia was excluded from the competition after the invasion of Ukraine in February and in the cooperation organization EBU, which organizes Eurovision, discussions are underway to completely exclude Russia's television companies - as they did with Belarus last year.

That it would end like this

felt natural - Ukraine has long been a stable pre-favorite.

Europe's population is outraged by the war in Ukraine and musically may not have won the right song, but the audience has spoken: support for Ukraine goes first and the country received 200 points more from the audience than the second of the telecoms in Moldova.

Never has the flags of a competing country been waved so much as this year.

It is a somewhat strange sight when countries such as Georgia, which has recently been at war with Russia, show their support for the Black Sea neighbor by a new circus rock group waving the Ukrainian flag.

Or when Moldova - whose autonomous region of Transnistria is feared to be a future Russian target - does the same via the folk dance-specific group Zdob și Zdub.

The Swedish Eurovision director

Martin Österdahl has said that discussions about where the competition will be held in 2023 will not begin until a few weeks later, but if it proves impossible for Ukraine to arrange, several countries will be in line.

The City of Stockholm has already volunteered.

And Sweden then?

Cornelia did not quite become the fan favorite as expected, but ended up behind Ukraine, Spain, Serbia, Moldova and Great Britain.

But it is still a small victory.

Just a few years ago, the Eurovision audience was really tired of Sweden.

Consistently well-produced and sung and the jury's favorite, but maybe a little soulless?

I have been sitting in a press room where cheers broke out when Sweden collapsed in the position after the telephone voices showed their disinterest.

But that's not how it has

been with Cornelia Jakobs - "Hold me closer".

It conveys a real feeling in a way that the solo artists Sweden has sent in recent years: Tusse, John Lundvik and Benjamin Ingrosso do not seem to have succeeded - another year the victory might have been within reach.