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Is the Melodifestivalen voting system flawed?

The Local Sweden
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Is the Melodifestivalen voting system flawed?

With 22-year-old Robin Stjernberg set to represent Sweden at Eurovision in May, not everyone is toasting his success. Some Swedes are seething that the singer wasn't even the leading vote-getter in Sweden. Could the system be flawed?

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There's a saying in Sweden: taste is like the buttocks - divided ('Smaken är som baken - delad').

The saying couldn't be more apt when it comes to Melodifestivalen, a six-week music extravaganza where millions tune in each Saturday night to select a representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

IN PICTURES: Robin Stjernberg reacts to winning Melodifestivalen

For Saturday night's finalé, 4.1 million viewers tuned in to watch the spectacle, the most since 2006, according to SVT.

But reactions to the programme are fierce. People either staunchly defend the show in all its kitschy glory, or loathe it vehemently.

But love it or hate it, this year's final seconds of voting provided enough drama to keep even the haters talking as Sweden's leading vote-getter didn't even end up winning.

Stjernberg's emotional encore performance of You

Sundsvall resident and 17-year-old cross-dresser Yohio was pipped to the post by Robin and his pop song You, thanks to 50 percent of the result being determined by an international jury.

"Europe's not ready for me yet," a somewhat unshaken Yohio told reporters after the event.

If it was up to Sweden, Yohio would be in the spotlight in two months. But as Europe sent the vast majority of its votes anywhere but in Yohio's direction, Sweden will be represented by Robin.

Is that fair? Is the voting system a functioning one? Or should someone else have won, perhaps?

Or is the whole thing just a massive waste of time and money, thank you very much?

Thousands took to Twitter to have their say, and here is a selection: Have your own say below.

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