Dancer Ivan Mileusnić, who was part of the Serbian jury at this year's Eurovision, has spoken out about the controversy surrounding the voting in the final. He specifically addressed the issue of Croatia's group "Lelek" not receiving any points from the Serbian jury.
"Although I didn't originally plan to speak out, as I believe that after voting, any serious discourse on music should remain within the domain of art and personal experience, the amount of insults, spins, and incorrect interpretations over the last few days has surpassed any measure of proper communication," Ivan began.
"I don't feel the need to defend myself because I believe no member of the jury has done anything that requires defense. Each member of the jury performed their role seriously, responsibly, and under full professional and moral responsibility," he added.
"Each jury member receives a list of compositions and ranks them from one to 24 based on their personal and professional impression. Only after combining all these individual ranking lists does the system form the final scores of the country. This means that no individual can independently grant or deduct 12 points to any country," the dancer explained.
"The Serbian public awarded Croatia 12 points, which speaks to the emotions, closeness, and support our people have for each other. The public has the right to vote from the heart, and that is exactly how they voted. On the other hand, the expert jury has a different role and greater responsibility. We do not consider a performance in isolation but compare it with the entire competition of that evening," Ivan added, noting that the president of the Serbian jury was singer-songwriter Aleksandra Kovač.
"This process is much more complex than it appears to the public. It's not just about the emotion someone has invoked but the complete professional impression relative to all other performances: composition, interpretation, vocal stability, concept, direction, scenic performance, organization, and overall artistic experience," Mileusnić concluded.
Ivan's defense is solid, but the public wants more transparency in Eurovision voting. Can the jury ever truly be unbiased when voting? It's a question that will always linger over the competition.