Leadership Shakeup at Teleradio-Moldova: General Director Vlad Țurcanu Resigns Amid Eurovision 2026 Jury Scandal

A massive shockwave has hit the media and cultural landscape of the Republic of Moldova following a major controversy at Europe's most-watched musical competition. Vlad Țurcanu, the General Director of the national public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova (TRM), has officially announced his resignation. This drastic decision comes as a direct consequence of the immense public backlash sparked by the controversial points awarded by the Moldovan national jury during the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Grand Final.

Standing down alongside the General Director are his top deputies, Andrei Zapșa and Cornel Ciobanu, marking a complete collapse of the institution's current executive leadership under the weight of public outrage.

Taking Accountability in a Public Crisis

During a press conference where he appeared visibly affected by the unfolding events, Vlad Țurcanu detailed the reasoning behind his sudden departure. Although TRM’s leadership initially attempted to distance itself from the independent jury's decisions, the sheer volume of public anger made the situation untenable for the management.

"I will submit my resignation request to the TRM Supervisory Board. Even if we dissociated ourselves from the jury's grades, the expressed vote is ultimately our responsibility, and my responsibility as the head of this institution. I deliberately avoided giving any directions to the jury. However, what happened is a grave, extraordinary situation—that the jury completely disregarded the deep sensitivities and ties that exist between us and our two neighbors," Țurcanu stated before the press.

The scandal erupted over the weekend when the detailed voting breakdown was revealed. The Moldovan expert jury awarded its maximum 12 points to Poland's representative. In a striking and controversial contrast, the song "Choke me," performed by Romania's Alexandra Căpitănescu, received a mere 3 points, while neighboring Ukraine received zero points from the experts. This perceived slight triggered a massive wave of discontent on social media, with the public accusing the jury of being completely disconnected from the region's cultural and geopolitical realities.

Bilateral Relationships Remain Strong

Keenly aware of the diplomatic and emotional fallout from the televised event, Țurcanu was quick to emphasize that the musical preferences of a seven-person jury do not reflect the official stance or the genuine feelings of the Moldovan people.

"The fraternal relations we share with Romania, as well as our profound consideration for Ukraine and its daily sacrifice, remain entirely unaltered. Our true attitude towards Ukraine is not worth zero points, and our feelings for Romania can only be described as love," he added, making a strong appeal to calm the inflamed online rhetoric.

Behind the Scenes of the Jury Selection

Further details emerging about the jury's organization only added fuel to the fire. It was revealed that the jury members received a rather modest remuneration of approximately 1,000 MDL (about 50 EUR) each. Furthermore, the selection process, which was heavily managed by departing deputy Andrei Zapșa, was fraught with difficulties.

Zapșa explained the compromised process: "Recommendations were gathered... but we faced refusals because we needed a lineup of people with higher notoriety. I recall at least three prominent names who outright refused to be part of the jury, including two stars from Romania. Ultimately, we ended up with this specific lineup, and if you ask me, at this point, it doesn't even matter anymore." Management reportedly only learned of the jury's final scores on Saturday afternoon, leaving no time to manage the impending PR crisis.

Calls for Unity from Artists and Diplomats

Amidst the growing online hostility, Satoshi, the talented artist who proudly represented Moldova at Eurovision 2026, stepped forward with a message of peace and perspective. He firmly stressed that "our countries have been and will always be friends," urging citizens not to promote hate or division over a television contest.

Taking a highly diplomatic and positive approach, the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova reacted promptly. Rather than focusing on the jury's snub, the Embassy chose to highlight the televote, expressing great joy over the massive support Romania's representative received directly from the Moldovan public. The institution beautifully noted that the Eurovision contest "reminds us annually that music succeeds in uniting people, emotions, and communities far beyond any ranking established by a jury."

Vlad Țurcanu will continue to fulfill his daily executive duties as an interim leader until the TRM Supervisory Board organizes a transparent contest to appoint a new General Director. This transitional process is expected to take several weeks, during which TRM will have the difficult task of rebuilding public trust.

Source is tv8.md