By John Revill
BASEL, Switzerland (newsinpo.site) – Austria claimed victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 held in Basel, Switzerland, marking their first win since the triumph of the bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst in 2014.
Opera performer JJ secured victory over Israel at the globe’s premier musical event, attracting an astounding viewership of over 160 million people via television broadcast worldwide.
This win marked Austria’s third triumph in the contest, coming after Conchita’s achievement and Udo Jürgen’s win back in 1966.
At the age of 24 from Vienna, JJ fused components of opera, techno music, and falsetto singing in his track “Wasted Love,” which captivated both jury members and callers through their votes.
These surpass all my wildest fantasies,” stated the vocalist, whose true identity is Johannes Pietsch. “Absolutely insane.
JJ mentioned that he aimed to share his innermost reflections when composing the song, and he was pleased that it connected deeply with numerous fans.
He stated, ‘There isn’t such a thing as unused love; every bit of love serves a purpose. We have an abundance of love to share, and we ought to harness it as our most powerful tool here on Earth.’
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker praised his achievement, stating that JJ was making musical history through his work.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated on X, ‘JJ, your voice has stirred Europe and brought Austria into the limelight,’.
Switzerland secured the hosting rights for Eurovision following Swiss rapper and singer Nemo’s victory at last year’s competition in Malmo, Sweden.
Supporters journeyed from all over Europe and farther afield to reach Basel, where a total of 100,000 individuals participated in Eurovision-related activities in the city, culminating in the finale.
Hermann Heyn journeyed all the way from Chile for an extraordinary experience he would never forget.
He shared with newsinpo.site, ‘We traveled an incredibly long distance just for this event.’ He added, ‘Our presence here isn’t about competition; nonetheless, being present was essential.’
Eurovision, which stresses its political neutrality, has also faced controversy again this year due to the war in Gaza.
According to Israeli authorities, Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel, was attending the Nova music festival when Hamas fighters launched an assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and led to around 251 individuals being held captive.
Pro-Palestinian organizations called for the European Broadcasting Union to bar Israel from participating due to the situation in Gaza, where local health authorities report that over 50,000 individuals have lost their lives as a result of Israel’s ongoing military operation.
Approximately 200 demonstrators staged a protest in Basel on Saturday night. During Raphael’s show, two individuals tried to reach the stage but were stopped by security personnel. Fortunately, no one was harmed.
The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE displayed a message prior to the beginning of the Eurovision event stating, “When human rights are threatened, staying silent is not acceptable. We stand for peace and justice in Palestine.”
(Reported by John Revill, Johnny Cotton, Cecile Mantovani, Swantje Stein, Max Schwarz, and Denis Balibouse; Extra reporting provided by Francois Murphy in Vienna and Ana Rios Cantero in Madrid; Edited by Deepa Babington, Mark Potter, and Sandra Maler)
