2023-05-09 21:56:26
St. Gallen Remo Forrer qualified on Tuesday evening in Liverpool for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The first semi-final brought together fifteen countries including Switzerland, Israel, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Remo Forrer, 21, performed “Watergun” on stage, a title that evokes helplessness in the face of armed conflict on the planet. “My generation has to live with the consequences of decisions we didn’t make, explained the singer in March. It’s frustrating, but I hope, nevertheless, that changes are possible.” Remo Forrer’s song is also a call for peace, a year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
>> To read also: Remo Forrer will represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
The other nine qualifiers from the first semi-final are Croatia, Moldova, Finland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway.
Sweden and Finland favorites
According to the predictions, the favorites of the competition are Sweden and Finland. Remo Forrer is quite well placed, in 13th place. The St-Gallois hopes to arrive among the first ten.
In 2021, the Friborg resident Gjon’s Tears, then 22 years old, finished third with his song “All the universe”. He was the first Swiss to finish on the podium in the competition, since Annie Cotton’s third place in 1993. Last year, the Appenzell resident Marius Baer had less “cardboard” arriving 17th out of 25.
>> To watch: the clip for “Watergun”, the song by Remo Forrer
Twenty-six qualified
The first semi-final brings together 15 countries on Tuesday. The second, Thursday, brings together 16 including Austria, Belgium, Poland and Australia. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Great Britain and Ukraine, winners last year, are automatically among the 26 countries that will take part in Saturday’s final. Note that Russia is excluded from the competition due to the invasion of Ukraine, as in 2022.
This year, the jury is removed in the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest. Only the votes of the viewers will decide which artists will go to the final.
In 2022, the Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra won in Turin with the title “Stefania”. However, the competition cannot take place in Ukraine due to the war. It is therefore Great Britain, having finished second, which has been chosen to host the 2023 edition of Eurovision.
>> Also listen to the subject of La Matinale:
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