Moldova broadcaster head resigns

Vlad Țurcanu’s resignation has turned a Eurovision voting dispute into a domestic media and political story in Moldova. On Monday, May 18, the director general of Teleradio-Moldova said he was stepping down after days of anger over how Moldova’s national jury voted in the Eurovision 2026 final in Vienna. Reuters reported that the resignation followed mass public protests and a wider backlash on social media after the jury gave neighboring Romania only three points and gave Ukraine none. Țurcanu told a hastily called news conference that the decision was his. He said the broadcaster had distanced itself from the jury’s choices, but that the vote remained the institution’s responsibility and “primarily mine, as head of the institution,” according to Moldpres and Reuters. (usnews.com) ### Why did the broadcaster chief resign over a song contest vote? May 18 became the breaking point because the dispute was not only about music rankings, but about who Moldova appeared to support in a highly scrutinized final. Reuters said many hundreds of fans denounced the jury’s vote online, and protests followed in Chisinau and other cities. The broadcaster had selected the national jury, placing responsibility on Teleradio-Moldova even though the jurors cast the points themselves. (moldpres.md) Moldpres said Țurcanu framed the resignation as personal accountability. In his remarks, he said that even though TRM had publicly separated itself from the jury’s decisions, the vote cast in Vienna was still the broadcaster’s responsibility. ### What exactly did Moldova’s jury do that caused the backlash? (usnews.com) Moldova’s jury gave 12 points to Poland and 10 to Israel in the May 16 grand final, according to Reuters and RTÉ. Romania received three points from the jury, while Ukraine received none. The public vote inside Moldova looked very different. (moldpres.md) Reuters and Moldpres said Moldovan viewers gave Romania the maximum 12 points, deepening criticism that the jury had not reflected public sentiment. Romania’s strong finish added to the scrutiny. Moldpres said Alexandra Căpitănescu placed third for Romania with “Choke Me,” while Moldova’s own act, Satoshi, finished eighth with “Viva, Moldova!” Bulgaria’s DARA won the contest and Israel finished second. (usnews.com) ### Why did Romania and Ukraine matter so much in this case? Reuters noted that Moldova has strong linguistic and cultural ties with Romania. That made the three-point jury score for Romania especially sensitive in a country where many viewers expected a much stronger showing. (moldpres.md) Ukraine was also central to the backlash. RTÉ reported that Țurcanu said the jury had failed to take account of “sensitivities” involving Moldova’s neighbors Romania and Ukraine, and said Moldova’s stance toward Ukraine was not one of “zero points.” Former Moldovan Defence Minister Anatol Salaru, quoted by Reuters, called the result a vote “among brothers.” Moldova’s Eurovision entrant Satoshi said public support for Romania reflected “the real opinion of our society,” Reuters reported. (usnews.com) ### Who else responded as the controversy spread? (rte.ie) Cristian Jardan, Moldova’s culture minister, called for explanations over the jury vote, RTÉ reported. Jury member Viktoria Cușnir said she regretted joining the panel and described the reaction as “a public lynching experience,” while arguing the vote was not anti-Romanian. (usnews.com) Alexandra Căpitănescu, the Romanian singer, said she had no hard feelings toward Moldova’s jury and thanked Moldovans who voted for her, RTÉ said. Satoshi also appealed for calm, writing on Instagram: “Do not fuel hatred. Our countries have been and will remain friends.” ### What happens next at Teleradio-Moldova? (rte.ie) Țurcanu said he would submit a formal resignation request to the Supervisory Council of Teleradio-Moldova, as required by law, Moldpres reported. That council now becomes the named body handling the next institutional step after a Eurovision controversy that moved from the scoreboard in Vienna to protests and a management crisis in Chisinau. (moldpres.md) (rte.ie)