This year's ESC is more political than ever. Shortly before the final, the Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra is still at the top of the betting shops. Germany, on the other hand, remains in last place. But that doesn't seem to bother candidate Malik Harris much.

Shortly before the final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Turin, Ukraine consolidated their role as favorites. The Kalush Orchestra with the song "Stefania" was in the betting shops by a very large margin even after the final rehearsals. In recent years, bookmakers have been accurate in predicting the winner of the world's most acclaimed music competition. The British Sam Ryder with his song "Spaceman" is in second place with the bookmakers, followed by Sweden's Cornelia Jakobs with "Hold me closer".

A new debacle is looming for Germany. The German starter Malik Harris with "Rockstars" is rated the worst of all 25 starters in the betting shops. Should that prove true, a series of bankruptcies would continue: In the past six ESC finals, Germany has finished in the last place five times. However, Malik Harris has many fans in the online networks, especially among young audiences, which is why the public vote may paint a different picture.

Harris himself wishes Ukraine a win in the final. "I really hope so!" He told the editorial network Germany. "It would be a very strong sign if Europe declared Ukraine the winner." He added: "And on top of that, I think the title 'Stefania' is really mega."

The poor assessment of his song "Rockstars" hardly bothers the 24-year-old. "It's really completely irrelevant to me. In the light of politics, everything else takes a back seat," he said. "I have two goals here: I want to do my best and I want to enjoy it. And if I can do both of those things, I'm happy."

The 66th ESC final is taking place in Turin because the Italian band Måneskin won the competition last year. Worldwide, around 200 million television viewers are again expected to watch the show, which begins at 9 p.m. on Saturday evening.