Good news for Joost Klein! Today it was announced that the Swedish Public Prosecution Service (OM) has decided not to prosecute Joost. How great is that?! The case has been dropped because there is not enough evidence to convict him. So Joost remains free as a bird!
AVROTROS is not going to let it go
However, AVROTROS is still “deeply disappointed” about his disqualification during the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. Joost was kicked out of the competition because he allegedly made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman. The Swedish Public Prosecution Service has indicated today that there is no evidence that this action led to “serious fear” or that Joost had bad intentions.
AVROTROS wants to talk to EBU
AVROTROS has said from the start that the disqualification was “unnecessary” and above all “disproportionate”, and now it turns out that they were right. But that now feels a bit like putting mustard after the meal. They therefore plan to quickly enter into discussions with the management of the EBU (the organization behind the Song Festival) to discuss this unjustified disqualification. They also want to address all objections about the way things are going behind the scenes. AVROTROS previously sent a letter to the EBU, but has not yet received a response.
Will the Netherlands participate in the Eurovision Song Contest next year?
As for the Netherlands’ participation in the Eurovision Song Contest next year, things are still a bit tense. AVROTROS has not yet decided whether the Netherlands will participate or not, because they first want to see if the EBU will implement any changes. Fingers crossed that everything will be arranged soon!
Problems behind the scenes at Eurovision Song Contest
Joost Klein is not the only one who has experienced problems behind the scenes. During his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, other countries have also filed complaints about the atmosphere and circumstances behind the scenes. Joost had even filed a complaint before his disqualification.
S10 speaks out about Eurovision Song Contest
Unfortunately, these incidents are not isolated cases. Recently, S10, the Dutch singer who participated in 2022 with her song “De Diepte,” spoke candidly about her own experiences during the Eurovision Song Contest. In an interview with Sophie & Jeroen on NPO 1, she described the song contest as “intense” and said that she had filed an official complaint about the lack of respect for personal boundaries by some backstage staff. AVROTROS later confirmed that this report had indeed been received and acknowledged.
