From our special correspondent in Turin (Italy)
"Next year, Ukraine will host the Eurovision!
"Announced on social networks, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
A statement immediately, just after the victory of Kalush Orchestra in Turin.
The head of state already imagine the 2023 edition held in a town of Mariupol "free, peaceful, rebuilt."
For the Oleh Psiuk singer, leader of the winning group, the question does not arise.
He had already said he did not envisage, if they win, the next competition takes place outside his country.
After the final, he was planning a "new Ukraine, integrated, happy."
In his message of congratulations, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, for his part declared “wish that Eurovision next year could be held in kyiv, in a free and united Ukraine.
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However, it is quite premature, for obvious reasons, to say that the competition will actually take over Ukrainian territory in the coming months.
Asked on Wednesday what would happen if Ukraine won, Martin Österdahl limited himself to a factual answer.
"When you have a winner, we have a dialogue with the broadcaster in that country.
We follow the same process every year.
There are different timelines – it's a project on a one-year cycle – we need a number of guarantees and assurances,” he said.
B-plans?
This Sunday, during the winners' press conference, he followed the usual protocol by handing the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Oksana Skybinska, the Eurovision Song Contest welcome pack – a sort of detailed specification.
"I know you know what it means and involves to organize this event," he told her, without lingering, as relayed by Variety.
An implicit way of evoking a plan B. Some countries have already expressed their interest in hosting the 2023 edition – which would be organized in collaboration with the Ukrainian broadcaster.
El Confidencial argues that the Spanish channel RTVE began to raise the subject several days ago, while the Swedish daily
Aftonbladet
writes that the mayor of Stockholm, Anna König Jerlmyr, would be ready to present the candidacy of her city.
If the rule is that the winning country of Eurovision organizes the next edition, it is not an obligation.
The last time this scenario arose was in 1980. Israel had won the competition it was organizing in 1979 but the Jewish state gave up, for financial reasons.
The event was finally held in The Hague (Netherlands).
On the other hand, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), which manages the organization of the competition, had never had to ask itself the question of what would happen if the winning country were a country at war: the situation is unprecedented.
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