The European Commission has expressed anger over a ban on EU flags at the Eurovision Song Contest and demands explanations.

The allegations, made by several spectators who attended the Grand Final on Saturday and were told off for carrying the flags, quickly turned viral and prompted a stern rebuke from Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas.

“Eurovision is first and foremost a celebration of European spirit, of our European diversity and talent. The EU flag is a symbol of this,” Schinas said on X on Saturday evening.

“Less than a month to the European elections, there should be no obstacles, big or small, to celebrating what unites all Europeans.”

  • @Plopp
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    -77 months ago

    Obnoxious camera woman? You don’t think she had a producer in her ear telling her what to do?

    • @Viking_Hippie
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      87 months ago

      Whether someone else was telling her to or not, she was behaving obnoxiously. “Just following orders” is no excuse.

      • @Plopp
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        -27 months ago

        There are absolutely circumstances where I’d give someone a pass, even if what they did is poor behavior. I don’t know anything about her, but we’re talking about one of the largest TV events in Europe and there’s enormous pressure on every crew involved. You have to be a really gutsy and probably very experienced motherfucker to stop and say no to the producer in that moment when the stakes are so high. Even more so if you’re a woman.

        • @Viking_Hippie
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          17 months ago

          I get what you’re saying and in most cases I’d agree.

          In this case, though, it was a clear invasion of his privacy and disrespect of him as a person.

          To ignore his repeated requests to leave him alone in a very vulnerable moment, after you’ve already agreed to along with the rest of the press pool, is not just poor behavior. It’s abuse befitting the worst paparazzi sleazeballs.