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ESC 2016 FINLAND: JAANA PELKONEN RETURNS AND GIVES ADVICE

Jaana Pelkonen returns to the Eurovision stage when she will co-host the #UMK16 final next Saturday with Krista Siegfrids and Roope Salminen. She's done it many times before, she's been the Finnish commentator for years and when Lordi won in 2006 she was the unquestionable choice for the female host of Helsinki 2007 Eurovision song contest. Her being Eurovision fan started back in 1998 when Dana International won....
That was nine years ago, and last time she was involved in Eurovision was five years ago. Since then she's got into politics being a member of parliament - and in the last elections the most voted female politician in Finland. Not bad!
Jaana found her ESC dresses in YLE's wardobe after 9 years

She believes Eurovision and politics mix nicely together. They always have and always will. This year surely the refugee crisis will have its effect on the songs by some, and it's not a bad thing. Eurovision is a platform of 200 million people so why not use it also to the topics of importance? Over the years Eurovision has been about peace songs, the falling of Berlin wall, we have sung for united Europe and for the equal rights. Finland is no exception: last year we sent Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät and in 2013 Krista Siegfrid's lesbian kiss was a part of the ongoing campaign for the equal marriage rights. Austria sent Conchita Wurst and caused protests in Russia and elsewhere. And how did it end? Eurovision stands for equality and tolerance and can make a change.
When Lordi won in Finland it caused quite a storm. Some Finns declared they were so ashmed and outrraged they will emigrate. When they won in Athens all these people were cheering along the others. Nothing like Eurovision and ice-hockey bring people together that way - well, in Finland at least, in other countries it might be football. Something politicians can only dream of. 
We should take example of Lordi, she says. They had one idea and they believed in it no matter what. In the end it paid off. She says everyone remembers Lordi, even in the European politic's tables. As ex-Eurovision winners they are still ambassadors of Finland in the world. 


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