Valeria Pasha, the runner up in Moldova’s national final Etapa Națională, has announced she has filed an appeal against the show’s results.
In a video released on her Instagram account, Valeria says that she and her team want “transparency” after she finished second to Natalia Barbu despite both singers earning the same number of points.
As a result, Valeria has confirmed she has contested the results of tonight’s final. She says she has made the decision to appeal in order to “fight for the support provided” by those who voted for her.
Valeria Pasha, who performed “Anti-Princess” in tonight’s final, won the popular vote with 4771 votes – almost double that of Natalia Barbu, who placed second in the public vote.
However, Barbu’s song “In The Middle” won the most points from the juries, with Pasha placing second in that vote. As Etapa Națională converts the results of these votes into a single set of points, this meant that both Valeria and Natalia had 22 points at the end of voting.
Despite both songs being tied, Natalia Barbu was declared the winner. There was a lack of clarity on how the decision was reached, as there had been no clear announcement that in the event of a tie-break the jury vote winner would be preferred.
Pasha clearly feels that the decision to award Barbu the victory was unjust. In her post on Instagram, she has written that “the organisers have decided not to consider your votes and opinion.”
As it stands, Natalia Barbu will represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest, performing “In the Middle” in the second half of the first semi-final in Malmö, Sweden.
Image Source: TRM | Source: @pasha.valeria (Instagram)
Moldova debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005 when the contest was held in Kyiv, Ukraine. That year, Bulgaria also debuted in the contest and Hungary returned after a long absence since 1998. Moldova’s best result in the contest to date was 3rd place in 2017 for Sunstroke Project with “Hey Mamma!”. This was the second time the group had represented their country in Eurovision.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
