Not too long ago, Ukraine has just selected Maruv as a representative – last Saturday. But the broadcaster and Maruv did not have reconciliation over contract resulting in complex process.
Broadcaster could not solve the problems for upcoming Eurovision event and decided to withdraw from contest.
Here is the official statement:
Ukraine will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest-2019
The National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine has withdrawn from the participation in the International Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
The winner of the national selection for this year’s Eurovision was the singer MARUV, to whom the Public Broadcaster, as it does annually, offered to conclude a contract to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision song contest. However, after negotiations, MARUV refused to sign the contract.
The alternative way to determine the representative from Ukraine to the Eurovision 2019 according to the rules, could have been direct appointment by the broadcaster. That is, the Public Broadcasting Company could nominate any performer not from the list of participants in the National Selection.
However, the Public Broadcaster opted not to use this option, because it respects the choice of the audience in the National Selection. Therefore, in the situation of non-signing of the contract on the participation in the Eurovision with the winner Public Broadcaster has approached the finalists who have finished second and third in the National Selection final.
Freedom Jazz and KAZKA also refused to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
The Song Contest is an opportunity for every country to declare itself in the international arena, and for each performer to act as the ambassador of their country and to win the supporters accross the globe.
But the National Selection 2019 revealed and attracted the attention of our society to the systemic problem of the music industry in Ukraine: the connections of artists with the show business on the territory of the aggressor state, which are still very tight at the 5th year of the military conflict. For a part of society, this fact is acceptable, in the other part it causes indignation and rejection.
The laws of Ukraine do not provide any restrictions on the work of performers and artists on the territory of the Russian Federation despite the large public request to resolve this situation.
In the current situation, following the Law on Public Broadcasting, as well as in conditions of excessive politicization of the national selection process, the Public Broadcaster has decided to withdraw from the participation in the International Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
The Public Broadcaster considers it necessary to initiate a public dialogue in the format of talk shows, forums and discussions with the participation of leading experts in the field to formulate the position of the Ukrainian society on this issue, as well as the development of proposals for a draft law of Ukraine that could regulate the situation with the cooperation of Ukrainian artists with the state-aggressor for the future.