Topic: How do we stop neighbour voting?

[ijm123]

With all the talk this year of all the qualifiers being from Eastern Europe do you think there is any way to stop neighbours voting for each other.

It's not as though it's a new phenomenon - the Nordic block have been doing it for 40+ years, and we all know about Greece & Cyprus.  It's just more noticable now because there are so many Ex-Yugo and Ex-Soviet coutries voting for each other that it makes more of an impact on the result (although Norway blatantly changing their votes in 1963 had more of an effect than any other giving victory to neighbours Denmark )

So what, if anything, can be done to stop the so called diaspora voting?

[Relyana]

I don't think anyone found the right answer to this question yet 

Is not about the neighbour voting in our case. The romanian diaspora will always vote for Romania in both Moldova and Spain so Romania will always receive top points from these countries no matter what we send to represent us at ESC. It shouldn't be like this but we can't stop people loving & supporting their home country.

As for the neighbour voting we can't say we're blessed 

I remember Romania and Russia being accused of swapping votes between each other in 2002. I don't know whether or not that was a deliberate result but as far as I remember both countries used juries so if there was something deliberately wrong that means we're far from finding the right answer to the "friendly" voting as well.

[Lonter]

Question is, do we really need to stop neighbour voting?

Of course, we, as fans, really hate when a poorer entry gets a better place than entries that we consider beautiful and all that, and so some fans have been complaining about neighbour voting since 1956 itself... but let me try to say this:

-The voting block most people complain about is the Ex-yugo mafia (Macedonia this, Croatia that, Serbia whatever), even more than the Ex-Soviet block (which is quite stronger and more directed towards certain countries, and actually more dangerous) or the Nordic block (pretty strong too).
-Before this year, no country had ever won from the yugo block.

Of course, if Serbia wins again next year, and they do so with an horrible song, then we could speak about the factual dangers of neighbour voting. But even with the semifinal system and all that, what really is important for most watcher is who wins, not who manages to be in top ten due to their neighbourgs.

[Ulle]

With all the talk this year of all the qualifiers being from Eastern Europe do you think there is any way to stop neighbours voting for each other.

It's not as though it's a new phenomenon - the Nordic block have been doing it for 40+ years, and we all know about Greece & Cyprus.  It's just more noticable now because there are so many Ex-Yugo and Ex-Soviet coutries voting for each other that it makes more of an impact on the result (although Norway blatantly changing their votes in 1963 had more of an effect than any other giving victory to neighbours Denmark )

So what, if anything, can be done to stop the so called diaspora voting?

Apparently our voting block wasn't as powerful than voting blocks of anyone speaking French. Denmark winning once during the jury system, Norway twice, Sweden... whatever times. Finland zero and Iceland zero too.

Yes... diaspora... they could all go back to their original countries? If they feel it's their "homeland" anyway.

[Relyana]

Yes... diaspora... they could all go back to their original countries? If they feel it's their "homeland" anyway.

The idea of a diaspora-less world is utopic. What should Americans do ? Go back to Europe or Africa ?
What about Moldovans ? What if they feel that Romania is their homeland but Moldova is their country? Most of them feel that they belong to the Romanian nation (we share common history, culture and traditions up to a certain point) ...that doesn't mean that Moldova is not an independent country. Sometimes even the "homeland" is as relative as anyone's identity can be.

[Moo55]

It's because there's hardly any western european people moving to eastern europe compared to the other way around. It doesn't help that eastern europe is generally more interested as well and therefore more likely to vote.

[Relyana]

-The voting block most people complain about is the Ex-yugo mafia (Macedonia this, Croatia that, Serbia whatever), even more than the Ex-Soviet block (which is quite stronger and more directed towards certain countries, and actually more dangerous) or the Nordic block (pretty strong too).

How come Russia didn't benefit from that strong Ex- Soviet block ?

[Lonter]

How come Russia didn't benefit from that strong Ex- Soviet block ?

Didn't they? A strong block doesn't necessarily have to do with victories, it's actually more related to standard positions and what we can claim as overrated entries in terms of points and placement.

A 3rd place in 2007, a 2nd place in 2006, a 10th or so place with a very poor performance in 2004...

[ijm123]

Didn't they? A strong block doesn't necessarily have to do with victories, it's actually more related to standard positions and what we can claim as overrated entries in terms of points and placement.

A 3rd place in 2007, a 2nd place in 2006, a 10th or so place with a very poor performance in 2004...

It's the 2004 one that proves the point - Russia got 67 points and finished 11th - 48 of which came from former Soviet republics (12 from Belarus, 10 from Latvia & Ukraine and 8 from Estonia and Lithuania).  No way that performance deserved those results.

[danniela]

First of all noone should be able to vote twice for a entry.
Second i think 50-50(jury-televoting)should be better and with a jury different from what they had the old years(because even though some dont agree with me the juries those years were buyeddddddddddddddddddddddd  .even worse they were political sometimes.Greece and Turkey never voted eachother).
I dont think the winner comes from block voting e.t.c BUT the other placing does.

[Relyana]

First of all noone should be able to vote twice for a entry.

What do you mean ?

[Lonter]

What do you mean ?

I think she means that you are able to vote for an entry as a person multiple times on the phone or by sms, and so people that pay more actually get more votes.

Danniela will correct me if she didn't mean that though

[danniela]

I think she means that you are able to vote for an entry as a person multiple times on the phone or by sms, and so people that pay more actually get more votes.

Danniela will correct me if she didn't mean that though

Thats what i wonted to say 

[Relyana]

Thats what i wonted to say 

I see
Seems that we'll have 2 semis next year in Serbia. Hope EBU we'll take a look at UEFA's draws 

[danniela]

I see
Seems that we'll have 2 semis next year in Serbia. Hope EBU we'll take a look at UEFA's draws 

2 semis is a stupid idea!!!
the entries are too many 
(i saw it LIVE and it doesnt work....people are  allready SO TIRED when the last entries take place.i wonted to shout when Sibel was onstage and i couldnt  :'(...when Armenia was on only Armenians were cheering Andre....).

[ijm123]

2 semis is a stupid idea!!!
the entries are too many 
(i saw it LIVE and it doesnt work....people are  allready SO TIRED when the last entries take place.i wonted to shout when Sibel was onstage and i couldnt  :'(...when Armenia was on only Armenians were cheering Andre....).

The thing with 2 semi's is - are they going to be on at the same time? - if so which one do the Big 4 show and vote in? - if there's 2 at different times are the Big 4 obliged to show both and vote in both? (I can't see the BBC being happy at losing another 3 hours to ESC every year ).  There's so many unanswered questions that it still seems a ridiculous idea to have 2 semis.

[Art]

I remember Romania and Russia being accused of swapping votes between each other in 2002. I don't know whether or not that was a deliberate result but as far as I remember both countries used juries so if there was something deliberately wrong that means we're far from finding the right answer to the "friendly" voting as well.

Not only Romania and Russia, Malta went to all other delegations trying to sway some votes their way. 

[Art]

It's because there's hardly any western european people moving to eastern europe compared to the other way around. It doesn't help that eastern europe is generally more interested as well and therefore more likely to vote.

Plus, western Europeans don't care enough about Eurovision-results to vote for their own entry. Germans make up the highest number of foreign people in the Netherlands, yet we never give them many points (not even when they send a #1-hit as Texas Lightning).

[Relyana]

Not only Romania and Russia, Malta went to all other delegations trying to sway some votes their way. 

Tell me about it ! In 2005 Chiara said that the Romanian televotes were fake cause we didn't even have electricity  ... at least that's what we've read in the Romanian media those days. I like her voice a lot and I can't believe she really said that ..you never know when journalists make things up  

Timisoara became the first city in Europe to have electric public lighting on the 12th of November 1884 (four years after New York City) !!!