The controversy caused by the score awarded to Romania at Eurovision 2026 continues in the Republic of Moldova, after the artist Pavel Orlov offered new explanations regarding the low grade received by Romania’s representative, Alexandra Căpitănescu.
The scandal led to the resignation of the head of public television in Chisinau. Romania received only 3 points from the Moldovan jury, while the public awarded maximum points, 12 respectively.
In a post published on Facebook, Pavel Orlov claimed that the jury was obliged to follow the rules of the competition and vote strictly on artistic criteria.
“It is not allowed to give priority to a participant based on national criteria. I do not want and cannot break the rules. I am not a politician, nor a geostrategist, and I do not evaluate artists by nationality, gender or other criteria, as this is strictly prohibited by the rules of the contest”, conveyed the artist.
To support his position, Orlov presented his professional experience, stating that he has devoted 16 years to music studies and has been active in the music industry for 22 years.
He also rejected the criticism regarding the competence of the Moldovan jury, recalling that 18 other countries did not award any points to Romania.
“18 countries did not award any points to Romania, and another six offered less than 3 points. Are their juries also incompetent?”, he asked rhetorically.
The artist also responded to the accusations launched in the public space regarding the refusal to speak in Romanian during televised interviews.
“I understand the Romanian language, because I was born and raised in Chisinau in a Russian-speaking family. I did not choose my language or my family”, explained Orlov.
He claimed that the wave of negative reactions affected both him and his family.
“I am insulted and humiliated, and because of this my family also suffers. I am the father of several children. And all this because I voted impartially? I do not represent the opinion of the entire Moldovan people – that’s what the public vote is for. The jury must be impartial, otherwise it has no point. We live in a civilized country, where it should not be considered normal to support your point of view by insulting the honor and dignity of your opponent.” said the jury member.
The difference between the jury’s vote and that of the public surprised even the presenter of the results from the Republic of Moldova, Margarita Druță, who admitted in a clip published on TikTok that the decision shocked her, especially in the context of the appreciation enjoyed by the Romanian song among the viewers.
Romania’s representative, Alexandra Căpitănescu, entered the Eurovision stage in position 24 and brought our country third place, with a massive vote from the public.
