Roman Goncharenko had this interesting article in German media company Deutsche Welle:

The ongoing political crisis in Belarus has spread to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, with the country’s entry in the 2021 competition on the verge of disqualification over its controversial song choice.

Following mounting pressure from European lawmakers and other critics, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced this week that Belarusian band Galasy ZMesta will not be allowed to take part in the popular event in Rotterdam in late May unless it modifies or withdraws its controversial Russian-language song, “Ya Nauchu Tebya” (“I’ll Teach You”).

The song, which features lyrics like “I’ll teach you to toe the line” and “I’ll teach you to swallow the bait,” has drawn a backlash from opposition figures. The band is known for mocking the mass protests against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, which have been met with a violent crackdown since the disputed presidential election in August 2020. Rights groups have said more than 33,000 people have been detained in the protests.

Read the full article here.