New Eurovision Song Contest for EU member states?

14.05.07 .
New Eurovision Song Contest for EU member states?
Toine Manders, one of the Dutch members of the European Parliament, is working on an alternative for the Eurovision Song Contest. The new song festival should strengthen the European feeling. Only EU member states will be allowed to take part and songs should be performed in the national language.

Toine Manders gets the support of Henk Krol and former Eurovision Song Contest participant Sandra Reemer. Several investors and television broadcasters would already have shown interest. Manders is currently lobbying for money in the European Parliament.The new EU-Song Contest should strengthen the European feeling. "It will be more clear, cause only EU member states will take part. Now there are countries taking part of which people don't even know where they are. Also the voting procedure will be different and not get out of hand like now," it's said. The results will be decided by televoting and a professional jury.