Austria crowned with singer JJ, France and Louane in 7th place – Liberation
His boat finally found a good port. Thanks to a dark painting, the air of the film The Lighthouse of Robert Eggersthe Austrian singer embarked viewers and juries until victory. With Wasted lovethe country won its third victory, during The final of Eurovision 2025 This Saturday, May 17 in Basel, eleven years after the coronation of the Drag-Queen Conchita Wurst and its famous Rise like a phoenix. At the shoulder to shoulder in the favorites of online bettors with Sweden, JJ won 436 points, exceeding Israel and Estonia.
In a surprising and particularly cinematographic painting, in black and white on the screen, the artist interpreted his title of his operational voice, recalling Nemo, winning the last edition with The code, or Gjon’s Tears, candidate of Switzerland in 2021. JJ oscillated between a walk and electros hints, on a ship beaten by the waves of a raging sea – the camera movements giving the impression of an inevitable drowning – and surrounded by giant headlights. Whose lights have enabled Austria to rise to the first step of the podium.
Louane, she failed to Break the French curse. Despite his 7th place, a disappointment compared to the ambitions of France Télévisions, The singer failed to free Marie Myriam of his endless reign, forty-eight years after his victory with the bird and the child. However, for several days, the French community has been rustling with excitement, at the idea of a trophy at hand. A disappointed hope but which cultivates the good fortune of France in the competition – Louane finished third of the votes of the juries.
After good performance In 2021 with Barbara Pravi And in 2024 with Slimane, France Télévisions had succeeded in convincing the artist discovered in The Voice to wear the tricolor colors. His song Mom, revealed to the general public duringA match of the Six Nations Tournament at the Stade de Francehis piece managed to convince the bettors and communities of fans, who had often classified it in their favorites. Especially since France 2 had bet on the 2025 edition with great reinforcement of promotion and an ambitious staging. Orchestrated by the choreographer Fredrik Rydman, size of the competition with two victories to his credit, the purified performance of Louane, evoking the passage of time, had the appearance of a giant hourglass, whose sand grains fallen in fine rain-ultimately evoking rather the crossing of the tricolor desert since 1977. The artist can however be satisfied with being a new audience.
At the end of a crazy, but very long evening, as only Eurovision offers, the 69th edition has chained the performances of candidates, oscillating between wacky and emotion – Special mention in the Finnish XXL microphone. The animators Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer, former Swiss candidate, filled the public with their vitamin outfits and their humor numbers on the Alpine country – to occupy viewers during the usual but endless waiting before the results. Mini clips recalled the specialties of the host country: winter sports, chocolate, cheese … strangely, they forgot the banks.
If the excitement reigned as the results approach, it is also the hope of seeing the superstar Céline Dion on stage which held the public in suspense. Fans hoped to see the former representative of Switzerland interpreting his victorious Don’t leave without me – Especially since she had appeared in A video message during the first semi-finalon May 13, and that several former candidates had paid tribute to him in song. In recent days, rumors ran into the Eurovision bubble on a potential landing of his plane in Paris. Unfortunately, fans will not have the joy of seeing the Canadian singer perform on the Basel stage.
After A 2024 edition in Malmöin Sweden, where geopolitics had detected within the competition – between petitions, boycott calls and positions of candidates due to the participation of Israel, in the midst of war in Gaza – and where the incidents had multiplied, until the exclusion of a candidatethe organizers had the difficult task of appeasing the event. Taking advantage of the neutral land of Switzerland, and its Alpine landscapes, the European Radio-Television Union (UER) has cropped Eurovision to ensure the serenity and well-being of candidates. Even if it means taking highly criticized measures – like a new flag regulations which forced artists to unlock only with that of their country. Exit therefore the flags of LGBT + pride on stage.
But the news was not completely absent from the evening. The two commentators of Spanish television, Julia Varela and Tony Aguilar, had expressed their intention to refer to the war in Gaza, as during the semi-final, on May 15: they had before the passage of Yuval Raphael recalled the results of the Palestinian civilians killed, 50,000 including 15,000 children. The initiative provoked the anger of the Kan, the Israeli broadcaster, and the UER sent, this Saturday, May 17, a message to the Spanish RTVE to ask him, under penalty of heavy fine, to abstain from any political comment. The speakers folded to the injunction, but the chain, just before the live from Basel, at 9 p.m., broadcast, on the antenna and on its networks, a message in Spanish and in English: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine. »
With a week almost full of good feelings in Basel, the organizers will have at least avoided seeing the word « Eurovision » associated with conflicts between candidates, police investigations or threats of withdrawal. The UER will therefore have managed to partially restore public confidence, undermined last year. A mission that she will have to complete next year in Austria, where the next edition will be organized. Even if it means repeating her stupid mantra in a loop « United by music » (« Unis by music ») to be convinced.
