As per the annual tradition, Swedish Eurovision Song Contest fans from all over the country had an opportunity to make their voice heard last weekend, at preview video screenings at multiple venues across Sweden, organised by the national branch of OGAE. Anna Vissi seems to have convinced Swedish fans of her winning power, with a clear lead over her fellow contestants.
Fifty-six members in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå registered their votes at special preview DVD meetings, and members were allowed to vote for the home country Sweden. All 37 competing entries were judged together, and points were awarded in the fashion of the contest, with 12-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. The results were as follows:
1. Greece 346p
2. Slovenia 294p
3. Romania 290p
4. Belgium 243p
5. Sweden 232p
6. Bosnia 219p
7. Iceland 159p
8. Germany 157p
9. Malta 155p
10. Russia 143p
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11. Denmark 109p
12. Finland 98p
13. Estonia 91p
14. Monaco 80p
15. Switzerland 72p
16. Ireland 56p
17. Uk 52p
18. Ukraine 47p
19. Spain 44p
20. Norway 42p
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21. Croatia 39p
22. Latvia 37p
23. Polen 34p
23. Cyprus 34p
25. Armenia 30p
26. France 25p
26. F.Y.R.O.M 25p
28. Turkey 21p
29. Albania 18p
30. Netherlands 13p
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31. Andorra 11p
32. Lituhania 10p
33. Bulgaria 9p
34. Moldavia 7p
35. Israel 3p
36. Portugal 2p
37. Belarus 1p
Similar goings-on have already taken place across Europe, with results differing widely from country to country. Neighbouring Norway recently held their preview vote for OGAE members, with Sweden poised to give Carola a second ESC win, followed closely by Slovenia and Finland. OGAE France chose to hold two votes – an initial one to select ten countries for the final, then a second vote on just those ten with the songs already qualified for 20th May. The resulting top three: Russia as victor, followed by Norway and Belgium. Only time will tell the real result, of course – but it will be interesting to see how closely national OGAE results compare with the national televotes given by each country!
