Moldova: Valeria Pasha disputes the results of Etapa Națională 2024!

Just a few hours ago Etapa Națională, the Moldovan selection format for Eurovision 2024, was concluded. Following the voting of a national jury along with the public voting, Natalia Barbu was declared the winner with her song “In the middle” and therefore the country’s representative in Malmö.

However, Natalia Barbu’s win was the result of a tie-break. Natalia Barbu and Valeria Pasha tied on the first place, both with a total of 22 points. Pasha won the public’s vote, with receiving almost double the votes in comparison with Barbu who finished in the second place, while Barbu won the jury voting. It was up to the jury to break the tie, which gave the win to Natalia Barbu.

However, Valeria Pasha, the runner-up, as she states on a video posted on her Instagram account, disputes the results of tonight’s selection and has appealed the results of Etapa Națională 2024.

According to Valeria Pasha’s post:

Thank you for your support, I have thousands of messages and shares. 4771 votes – every vote counted for me! But unfortunately, with the score being tied 22/22 – the organisers have decided not to consider your votes and opinion.

We are not trying to blame Natalia Barbu’s team, but we want transparency.

Together with the team, we decided that we will fight for the support provided by you. For each of the 4771 votes. That’s why we’ll contest and bet on your support.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Valeria Pasha ️ (@pasha.valeria)

Valeria Pasha’s claim has nothing to do with Natalia Barbu personally but wants to ensure the transparency of the process, as the public’s opinion was not considered on the final result.

It is true that there was no information that the jury’s opinion would serve as the tie-breaker on such an occasion.

Anyway, the winner of tonight’s selection was Natalia Barbu with her entry “In the middle“. Barbu will return to the Eurovision stage for the second time, seventeen years following her first participation in Helsinki with “Fight”.

We remind you that Moldova is allocated to perform on the second half of the first semi-final on May 7.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!