we summarize the tensions around Joost Klein, the candidate from the Netherlands, excluded before the final

The singer is being investigated by Swedish police for “intimidation” after an incident on Thursday. The Dutch broadcaster, which recognized a “threatening movement” towards a camerawoman, denounces a “disproportionate” sanction. The artist’s attitude towards the Israeli candidate was also noticed.

One of the favorites will not take the stage. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, excluded Dutch candidate Joost Klein from the competition on Saturday May 11 at midday. A new twist of theater which has increased the already heavy atmosphere surrounding the competition. In a press release, the organization explains that the Swedish police are investigating “a complaint from a female member of the production team following an incident that occurred after her performance during Thursday evening’s semi-final”.

“While the legal proceedings continue, it would not be appropriate for him to continue to participate in the competition,” adds the EBU, recalling to apply “a zero tolerance policy towards inappropriate behavior”. Questioned by AFP, the Swedish police confirmed that they had opened an investigation for “intimidation”. What the Dutch candidate was accused of remained unclear until the Dutch Eurovision broadcaster, Avrotros, gave its version of the incident onexplaining that his candidate had had a “threatening movement” towards a camerawoman who filmed him without his consent.

Even before this twist, the atmosphere was particularly heavy around this very political edition, the participation of Israel arousing strong disapproval from part of the public and several candidates, starting, precisely, with Joost Klein.

Tensions with the Israeli delegation

The first tensions date back to Wednesday. SO that Joost Klein had refused to appear on social networks alongside Israeli candidate Eden Golan, it was filmed by Keren Peles, the author of the Israeli song Hurricane, obviously without his knowledge. On Instagram, this one then posts his film and writes: “The Dutch representative doesn’t like us and asked us not to take a photo of him. I respected his wish and took a photo of our lovely dancer.” This video and the message that accompanies it, perceived by many as a provocation, were quickly massively relayed on social networks, in particular on TikTok, igniting the powder.

Remember that Eden Golan, 20 years old, won her ticket for the final on Thursday evening with the song Hurricane, rewritten at the request of the competition organizers. Its initial title, October Rain and his words, referred, implicitly but very clearly, to the Hamas attacks which bloodied Israel on October 7, a message considered too political by the EBU while Israel is carrying out a military operation in the Gaza Strip.

A rowdy press conference

The next day, Thursday, during the press conference following the semi-final of the competition, Joost Klein attracted attention by ostensibly expressing his disagreement with the fact of being placed not far from the Israeli representative. The singer with broad shoulders and peroxide hair covers his head with the Dutch flag on several occasions.

Tension rises when a journalist asks Israeli Eden Golan if she does not think that her participation in the competition could lead to danger for the other candidates and for the public. Her presence and the threats weighing on her have in fact led to reinforced security around the event, with more controls to access the various Eurovision sites, and police officers coming as reinforcements from Norway and Denmark.

Seeing that the candidate hesitates to answer, a man sitting next to her explains: “You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.” Joost Klein, his face completely covered by his flag, uncovers himself and then lets go “Why not?”which can be translated as “Why shouldn’t she answer?”. The sequence circulated widely online, with some praising his courage, others criticizing his attitude as contemptuous. Eden Golan responded by assuring that the EBU “take all necessary precautions to ensure that this goes well.”

The candidate absent from a dress rehearsal

The situation worsens on Friday. While Joost Klein participates in the “flag parade” with the other competitors, he does not take the stage during the second dress rehearsal. “We are currently investigating an incident reported to us regarding the Dutch artist. He will not perform again until further notice”, the EBU announced on Friday afternoon, without giving further details on the nature of the incident. Speculation is rife and, in the process, Joost Klein deletes all his stories on his Instagram account and unsubscribes from the Eurovision account.

A Swedish daily journalist Aftonbladet, tries to find out more and tries to question him. But the candidate does not answer him and rushes into an elevator, all smiles. “Even in times of crisis, Joost Klein remains Joost Klein”, notes Dutch journalist Hans Groenendijk on. But on Friday evening, according to the Swedish channel SVT, Malmö police went to the site and questioned the suspect and witnesses. “He is suspected of illegal threats,” declared the Swedish police spokesperson on Saturday morning, relayed by the channel.

The exclusion deemed “disproportionate”

The EBU press release announcing the exclusion of Joost Klein falls on Saturday midday. The organization remains vague on the nature of the facts, but affirms that a member of the production complained to the police after a “incident” in the wake of the semi-final, and that the “inappropriate behavior” by Joost Klein does not allow “let him continue the competition”. The Swedish police immediately confirmed to AFP the opening of an investigation into “intimidation”.

The reactions do not take long. The Dutch public broadcasting system NPO calls the decision “very radical” : “This is a disappointment for millions of Eurovision fans in the Netherlands and other European countries”. Dutch presenter Cornald Maas, who comments on Eurovision in the Netherlands, is not more gentle with a sanction that he considers “disproportionate and shameful”, on X. Albanian singer Besa Kokëdhima, who failed in the semi-finals on Thursday, expresses her support for Joost Klein: “Please let Joost participate,” she writes on the same social network. “The timing is too short to clarify things and take official positions. He cannot be penalized overnight.”

The Eurovision broadcaster in the Netherlands, Avrotros, who initially said “shocked” of the exclusion of the national candidate, delivers his version of the facts in a press release. Recognizing a “threatening movement” of Joost Klein towards a camerawoman, the company explains that he “didn’t touch her”and presents the gesture as a reaction to having been filmed without his knowledge: “Joost repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed. This was not respected.” “We defend good manners (…) but in our eyes, an exclusion is not proportional to this incident”, deplores the Dutch broadcaster, less than three hours from the final. A position to which the organizers have, for the moment, not responded.