Profile of Heli V. (f)

This piece of news was published this week in Finland. Here is a translation of the point in question:

Kuunkuiskaajat, who represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest, got a strange proposition during the Semifinal. A representative from another country asked Susan Aho and Johanna Virtanen to influence the Finnish jury in order to ensure a place in the Final. In return the representative promised to influence the jury in his/her country on behalf of Kuunkuiskaajat. Kuunkuiskaajat didn’t agree to the request.

- We were blown away. We still don’t know who were in the Finnish jury.

This raises an important question: who was the representative and did they ask the same of any other delegations? And did someone agree on this arrangement? I hope some EBU officials have been informed about this. The whole idea sounds kind of strange. What influence would the artists have on the juries? Can the juries be bribed? If something like this happens I would consider it grounds for getting rid of the juries.

What do you think?

Source (in Finnish): http://yle.fi/alueet/lappi/2010/07/kuunkuiskaajia_kosiskeltiin_mukaan_vilppiin_1803711.html