A strike of lawyers in Iceland is wreaking havoc with their Eurovision preparations. The Bandalag Háskólamanna (Icelandic Association of Academics) which includes all Icelandic lawyers, has been on strike for 8 days now. Reportedly, no end in is sight to the industrial action.
Legal services are required to provide notaries that adjudicate and preside over the jury voting process and presentation of national votes. The Icelandic Association of Academics today released a statement threatening, “protracted strike action could jeopardise Iceland’s Eurovision participation”.
Icelandic media including mbl.is report the threat of an inability to provide a jury vote or even take part at all in Vienna, but with a month to go, I’d be surprised if RÚV could not organise in time for international lawyers to provide the necessary notary services; as there surely will have been precedent in the past for nations to have to source legal services from other countries, including at short notice.
Time will tell whether RÚV start to make plans for alternative arrangements, or whether a last minute stand-off may ensue.
Update 07/05/15:
PricewaterhouseCoopers have been given the responsibility for Iceland’s Eurovision-related legal services, so it shall not matter whether the on-going and worsening strike crisis in Iceland continues or not. All sorted.
