Eurovision 2012: Baku

Azerbaijan won in 2011 and hosted in 2012, in a newly built arena in Baku, under the slogan “Light Your Fire!” One of the three presenters was Eldar Gasimov, half of the duo that had won.

The songs were only part of what was reported from Baku that month.

Who stayed away

Armenia had applied to take part and then withdrew, citing the safety of its delegation. The two countries were in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Poland did not enter either, for a different reason. It was co-hosting football’s European Championship that summer, with the Olympics to pay for as well, and could not afford the contest on top.

Montenegro returned. That made 42, and for only the second time 26 songs reached the final.

New languages

Russia’s entry, by Buranovskiye Babushki, was sung in Udmurt. That language had never been heard at the contest. Nor had Georgian, which made its first appearance in Georgia’s song.

Lys Assia, the winner of 1956, had tried to come back as a contestant. Her song finished eighth in the Swiss selection. She came to Baku anyway, as guest of honour.

The host under scrutiny

Western coverage of the build-up was dominated by Azerbaijan’s record on democracy and human rights, and by the suggestion that the money spent on the contest was meant to distract from it.

Human Rights Watch reported that residents had been forcibly evicted, and their flats demolished, in the neighbourhood where the arena was built. On the eve of the contest it reported a violent crackdown on protesters. On the day of the final a flash mob of anti-government demonstrators was quickly dispersed by police.

One contestant went to see for herself. Sweden’s Loreen met local human rights activists during contest week — the only performer who did — and told reporters afterwards that rights were violated in Azerbaijan every day and that people should not be silent about it.

A government spokesman accused her of politicising the contest and asked the EBU to stop any more such meetings. Swedish diplomats replied that nobody had broken any rule.

Europe is watching

The German votes were read by Anke Engelke, who had presented the contest a year earlier. Before she gave them she said something else. Nobody tonight could vote for their own country, she said, but it was good to be able to vote and good to have a choice. She ended: “Good luck on your journey, Azerbaijan. Europe is watching you.”

Iran, and a plot

There was pressure from the other direction too. Senior Iranian clerics condemned Azerbaijan for hosting the contest at all, and there were protests outside Iran’s embassy in Baku in reply.

Four days after the final, Azerbaijan’s security ministry announced that it had foiled a series of planned terror attacks on the contest. The arena and two hotels were said to have been targets.

The result

Loreen won, overwhelmingly. “Euphoria” was first with the juries and first with the public, and finished on 372 points out of a possible 492. Russia was second, 113 behind. Serbia’s Željko Joksimović was third.

Albania’s fifth place was its best result ever. Its broadcaster had been allowed to show the first semi-final late and vote by jury alone, after the Qafa e Vishës bus accident at home.

Germany, Italy and Spain all finished in the top ten. The United Kingdom’s Engelbert Humperdinck, who sang first, was twenty-fifth. Norway was last.