The Flemish Jesuit priest and politician Luc Versteylen, also founder of the party Agalev, tries to convince the audience and the political scene of the bad consequences he sees in Eurosong for Kids, the Belgian national final for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Our colleagues of eurosong.be reported about it after an article in the newspaper De Morgen appeared regarding the issue.
According to Versteylen, it is “inacceptable that children are used by broadcaster VRT the Flemish broadcaster organising the Belgian national final – ed.'s note for this kind of commercial activity”. He compares the contest to paedophilia: “just like with paedophilia (…) the children have to fulfill the desires of their parents and families.” Other politicians have earlier also had their doubts about the junior contest, and now Luc Versteylen wants a total boycot of the show: “Belgium should withdraw from the contest in Copenhagen”, he says in De Morgen.
VRT has made up an extremely detailed plan to guide the children through the contest's process. It is, for example, strictly forbidden for the press to contact the children directly for an interview. Every contact goes through the VRT press service. Also, a children's psychologist is present all the time, and VRT representatives has discussed the whole procedure with parents and children to ensure that the children are not pushed or put under stress, and that the parents respect their children's wishes.
Thanks to our reader Roel for supplying additional information!
