I was standing in the main square in Chișinău, the Moldovan capital, when diplomatic relations took a sudden, bizarre hit.
To understand this, one must be reminded that in this part of the world, Eurovision is much more than a just flashy pop contest. It is hard to imagine another European capital broadcasting the glitzy singing competition in the exact square where it declared independence. Unlike the UK, which treats its recent streak of zero popular points as a lighthearted joke, here, the competition is serious business.
This year, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the square felt particularly symbolic. The song representing my country of origin was enthusiastically titled Viva, Moldova!, an unapologetic crowd-pleaser that rightfully dominated as a fan favourite in the popular vote. The energy was electric. Then came the jury points.
In a shocking display of political blindness, the Moldovan professional jury awarded Romania a miserable 3 points. We received 10 points in return.
As the scoreboard confirmed this numerical betrayal, the festive atmosphere evaporated. A woman standing directly behind me loudly predicted that the Romanians were about to tell us exactly where we could place those points. I will spare you the details of the exact wording.
To grasp the magnitude of this faux pas, we need to look at the wider geopolitical map. Romania serves as our closest ally and loudest advocate for EU integration - a relationship made even more pronounced by President Maia Sandu's recent remarks regarding the potential for national Moldovan Romanian unification. Insulting your primary political backer on live television transcends musical taste; it creates an instant international incident.
The ensuing outrage was swift and severe. The scandal escalated from social media grievances straight to the top of the state media apparatus, culminating in the swift resignation of the head of Teleradio-Moldova, the national broadcaster.
Only in Eastern Europe could a pop contest almost derail diplomacy and cost a high-profile broadcasting chief his job. Fortunately, the Moldovan public stepped in to save face, awarding Romania a full 12 points in the televote.
When your Defence Minister has to step in to do Eurovision damage control, reassuring the nation that "the only thing that matters is votes by ordinary people" - you know things have gotten out of hand. Next year, perhaps we should leave the jury voting to the diplomats.
