The main topic is the scandal that erupted during the Eurovision song selection when singer Lepa Brena, a candidate with the song “Sitnije, cile, sitnije”, lost to Danijel with the song “Džuli”. The jury favored Danijel, causing public and media dissatisfaction. Kornelije Kovač, the composer of Lepa Brena’s song, expressed confidence that Brena with his composition would have succeeded at Eurovision. Later, Brena revealed she felt the selection was rigged and that the jury was pressured to favor more modern music, while her song had Balkan elements beloved by the people. The topic sparked debates on how music and Eurovision selections reflect cultural and political tensions in Yugoslavia.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning sources emphasize the cultural and regional identity aspects of the scandal, highlighting how Lepa Brena’s music represented the Balkan people’s authentic voice and how the jury’s decision reflected a bias towards Westernized, modern music, potentially marginalizing local traditions.
Center: Center-leaning reports focus on the factual recount of the event, presenting the controversy as a clash between popular opinion and jury decisions, noting the disappointment of fans and the statements from involved parties like Kornelije Kovač and Lepa Brena without strong political bias.
Right: Right-leaning narratives tend to stress national pride and criticize the jury for undermining a beloved national artist, portraying the scandal as an example of external or elitist forces disregarding the will of the people and traditional values represented by Lepa Brena’s music.
