A victory and an enchanted country. “Nemo, you are the best!” The city of Bienne and all of Switzerland erupted with joy on Sunday night when the country’s child won Eurovision, with his song “The Code”, giving the Alpine country its third victory in this competition.
Biel, a city of 55,000 inhabitants in northwest Switzerland, has promised a triumphant return to Nemo Mettler, 24, whose very personal song deciphers the consciousness of being a non-binary person.
“Nemo, you are the best! (in English in the text, editor’s note) You did it! You won the Eurovision final! Your enthusiasm and authentic performance convinced everyone!” the municipality exulted on the social network
“Open-mindedness”
Also known by its German name, Biel, Bienne is the country’s largest bilingual city and the heart of the Swiss watch industry.
Assis sur des benches et des tables entourés de food trucks sur la rue du Général Dufour, plusieurs centaines de personnes ont suivi la finale du concours sur un écran géant, autour d’une bouteille de vin ou d’une bière, dans la chaleur du Saturday night. When it was time to sing Nemo, many climbed onto the benches and accompanied the song by waving Swiss flags.
When voting from 37 countries began and Nemo got off to a good start, the atmosphere became electric, until the final victory against the Croatian favorite.
“The city of Bienne is proud of Nemo and his career, which began in the city’s training centers and cultural institutions,” the municipality wrote on its website.
“In several interviews and videos made before the contest, Nemo periodically suggested the extent to which the simplicity and open-mindedness of the bilingual city of Bienne had inspired and positively influenced his cultural journey,” he noted.
Like fish in the water
“Congratulations Nemo on this crazy victory! A spotlight on his multiple talents and a recognition of his personality imbued with exuberance, sensitivity, intimacy and audacity,” said the Swiss Minister of the Interior in X, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
On Thursday, the Rex cinema in Bienne screened the second semi-final live from Malmö, to the great joy of Eli Schewa Dreyfus, Nemo’s former singing teacher, who was in the audience.
“He was like a fish in water on stage,” he told RTS television. “She sang things in four voices without a problem (…) She had such a natural talent on stage.”
Before winning Eurovision, Nemo performed at the municipal theater of Biel and at the Lakelive festival, remembers Glenda González Bassi, director of training, culture and sports at the town hall.
As tradition dictates, Switzerland will host the contest next year. In 1956, Switzerland hosted the first edition at the Kursaal Theater in Lugano, but refused to do so again the following year despite the victory of its representative. In 1989, the event took place at the Beaulieu Palace in Lausanne.
Source: BFM TV
