TRM director Vlad Țurcan resigns

Vlad Țurcan resigned on May 19 as director general of Moldova’s public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova, or TRM, after days of criticism over how the country’s Eurovision jury voted in the 2026 final. The backlash focused on Moldova’s jury awarding neighboring Romania only three points, despite strong cultural and linguistic ties between the two countries. (theguardian.com) Țurcan said the vote failed to account for what he described as sensitivities in Moldova’s relations with Romania and Ukraine, and he said he was taking responsibility as head of the broadcaster. (moldova1.md) ### Why did a Eurovision jury vote trigger a resignation? The May 16 Eurovision final in Vienna set off the dispute when Moldova’s jury gave 12 points to Poland, 10 to Israel, three to Romania and none to Ukraine. Moldova’s televote, by contrast, gave Romania the maximum 12 points, and the split quickly became a flashpoint on Moldovan social media. Many hundreds of fans criticized the jury’s ranking online, according to Reuters reporting carried by other outlets. Moldova’s public broadcaster also published coverage noting that internet users were angered by the three points for Romania and that TRM said the jury’s decision did not represent the institution’s position. (theguardian.com) ### What exactly did Vlad Țurcan say? Vlad Țurcan told a hastily called news conference that the decision to step down was his own. He said TRM had distanced itself from the jury’s vote, but that responsibility still rested with him as head of the institution, according to Reuters reporting. (jpost.com) RTÉ, citing AFP, reported that Țurcan called the episode an “extraordinary” and “serious” incident. He said the jury had failed to take into account “sensitivities” with Moldova’s neighbors and added: “Our stance toward Ukraine is not one of zero points, and our feelings toward Romania can only be ones of love.” (jpost.com) The Guardian reported that Țurcan said the three-point score for Romania failed to recognize sensitivities between neighbors. That account matched Reuters and AFP reports that framed the resignation as a response to the public outcry over the jury’s ranking. (jpost.com) ### What did TRM say about the jury process? TRM said it had followed European Broadcasting Union rules in selecting the jury, according to Moldova 1, the broadcaster’s news outlet. Moldova 1 also reported that Țurcan said TRM had made sure the jury would be independent. (rte.ie) Moldova 1 separately reported that TRM said the Eurovision jury did not represent the institution’s position. That statement became part of the broadcaster’s effort to answer criticism after the results were announced. ### How did others involved respond? Cristian Jardan, Moldova’s culture minister, called for “explanations” over the jury vote, according to RTÉ’s AFP report. (theguardian.com) Jury member Viktoria Cușnir said the reaction had felt like “a public lynching experience” and said the vote was not an expression of anti-Romanian sentiment. (moldova1.md) Alexandra Căpitănescu, Romania’s 22-year-old entrant, said she had no hard feelings toward Moldova’s jury and thanked Moldovans who voted for her. Moldova’s performer Satoshi, who finished eighth, urged people not to inflame tensions and said public support for Romania reflected the real opinion of Moldovan society, according to AFP and Reuters reports. (moldova1.md) The Romanian Embassy in Chișinău said Eurovision showed that music brings people together beyond any ranking set by a jury, according to Moldova 1. That statement appeared on Moldova 1’s Eurovision coverage page after the criticism over the Moldovan vote. (rte.ie) ### What happens next at TRM? Țurcan said he would submit his resignation to TRM’s supervisory board, according to reporting published on May 18 and May 19. Moldova 1 continued to carry Eurovision coverage on May 20, including reactions from the Romanian Embassy, Satoshi and TRM’s own reporting on the controversy. (rte.ie) The next formal step is the handling of Țurcan’s resignation by TRM’s supervisory board. Public updates are likely to appear through TRM and Moldova 1, which have been publishing the broadcaster’s Eurovision statements and follow-up reporting. (moldova1.md) (news.liga.net)