Moldova broadcaster chief quits amid protests over Eurovision jury voting

Vlad Țurcanu, the head of Moldova’s public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova, resigned on May 19 after a backlash over the country’s jury vote in the Eurovision Song Contest final. PinkNews and RTÉ reported that the dispute centered on Moldova’s low jury score for neighboring Romania and zero points from the jury to Ukraine, even as Moldovan televoters gave Romania the maximum 12 points. (thepinknews.com) The resignation followed the May 16 grand final in Vienna, where Moldova’s jury awarded 12 points to Poland, 10 to Israel and three to Romania. (thepinknews.com) RTÉ, citing Țurcanu, said he described the episode as an “extraordinary” and “serious” incident and accepted responsibility as head of the institution. ### Why did Moldova’s Eurovision vote trigger such a backlash? Moldova’s jury voting record became the focus because it diverged sharply from the public vote and touched two politically and culturally sensitive relationships. RTÉ reported that the jury gave Romania three points and no points to Ukraine, while Moldova’s televoters gave Romania 12 points. (thepinknews.com) PinkNews reported that criticism spread on social media after viewers compared the jury and televote splits. The outlet said former Moldovan defense minister Anatol Șalaru criticized the result on Facebook, while Moldova’s 2026 entrant Satoshi said support for Romania reflected “the real opinion of our society.” (rte.ie) ### What exactly did Vlad Țurcanu say when he stepped down? Țurcanu announced his decision at a news conference on Monday, according to PinkNews. He said, “This was my decision,” and added that although the broadcaster had “distanced” itself from the jury’s vote, responsibility still rested with him as the institution’s head. (rte.ie) RTÉ reported that Țurcanu also said the jury had failed to take account of “sensitivities” involving Romania and Ukraine. He said, “Our stance toward Ukraine is not one of zero points, and our feelings toward Romania can only be ones of love,” while also saying he had not instructed jurors how to vote. (thepinknews.com) ### Which scores drew the most scrutiny? The most disputed figures were Moldova’s three jury points for Romania and zero for Ukraine. RTÉ reported that Moldova’s jury instead gave its top marks to Poland and Israel. Romania’s broader result added to the attention on Moldova’s vote. (thepinknews.com) RTÉ reported that Alexandra Căpitănescu, Romania’s entrant, finished third in the contest, while Eurovisionworld’s results page says Bulgaria won the 2026 contest with 516 points and Israel finished second. ### How did Romanian and Moldovan participants respond? Alexandra Căpitănescu said she had no hard feelings toward Moldova’s jury, according to RTÉ. (rte.ie) She wrote on Instagram that “it’s not right for an entire nation to be held accountable for the decision of just seven people,” and thanked Moldovans who voted for her. Satoshi, who represented Moldova, also appealed for calm. RTÉ reported that he wrote on Instagram: “Do not fuel hatred. Our countries have been and will remain friends.” PinkNews separately reported that he linked the public vote for Romania to broader public sentiment in Moldova. (rte.ie) ### Who else weighed in inside Moldova? Cristian Jardan, Moldova’s culture minister, called for “explanations” over the jury vote, RTÉ reported. Jury member Viktoria Cușnir said on Facebook that she regretted joining the panel and described the reaction as “a public lynching experience,” while saying the vote was not anti-Romanian. (rte.ie) Eurovision voting is run through national broadcasters under contest rules that combine jury scores and public votes. Eurovisionworld’s 2026 results page says the final used national juries and televoting across participating countries, plus an online “rest of the world” vote. The May 16 final in Vienna is now over, but the official voting tables and statements from Teleradio-Moldova, Eurovision participants and Moldovan officials are likely to shape the next phase of the dispute. (rte.ie) Moldova’s public broadcaster has not been shown in the available reporting to reverse the vote itself; the immediate concrete change was Țurcanu’s resignation on May 19. (thepinknews.com) (eurovisionworld.com)