Eurovision 2018: The Second Semi-final countries’ qualifying history

As we mentioned in a previous article, the first semi-final is quite difficult and the level of the songs is high enough. Generally speaking, in the second semifinal things seem to be easier. But let’s see in detail which countries will undoubtedly qualify and which ones  may face serious qualifying problem in this year’s ESC.

Of the total of  18 entries in the second semifinal, only the first 10 entries will be able to get the ticket for Saturday’s final. We have to mention that France, Germany and Italy also vote in the 2nd semifinal, while the contestants are the following:

A Half

• San Marino
• Australia
• Denmark
• Moldova
• Norway
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia

Second Half

• Georgia
• Latvia
• Malta
• Montenegro
• Hungary
• Ukraine
• Poland
• Slovenia
• Sweden

Countries with a long history of qualification

It is well known that some countries in the Eurovision are voted regardless of song, and for this reason their qualification history is very long.

Russia

Russia can certainly be considered  as one of the great forces in the contest  . The country since 2004 with the introduction of the semifinals phase has not lost a year to the final, keeping the record with countries that will be seen below. In recent years, the country has also had a strong success in the top ten, although last year, due to some political events, the country had been absent in Kiev. With the help of countries such as Georgia, Moldova, Latvia and Ukraine, the country’s qualification is almost certain for once again.

Romania

The second country together with Russia with the biggest qualification rating is Romania, as it has never been blocked in the semi-finals since 2004. The country did not participate in the event in 2016, despite having opted for participation because of economic problems. This year, the country is in the same semi-final with Moldova, which means that the country is already starting with a number of certain points as the two countries always help each other. Although this year’s qualification for many is considered impossible, statistics show that the country can achieve a good result at least in the semi-final stage.

Ukraine

A third country that this year is likely to qualify to  the final is Ukraine. Let’s note that the worst position in the semifinals is the 8th in 2012, where it is 15th in the final with Gaitana. Its largest allies are Moldova, Poland, Russia and Latvia, while high scores can also be given  by countries such as Georgia or Romania. For one more year, the qualification to the final will not be a difficult matter.

Sweden

The country in recent years can be officially considered as the new “Queen” of the institution as it is only  a victoryaway  from the old superpower Ireland. Since 2004, Sweden has been excluded from the semi-finals only in 2010, and from 2011 , it has managed to win twice  and  only once it was out of the final top 5, in 2013. In this semi-final, the country has the assured help from Norway , Denmark, but also countries such as  Australia, Poland and the Netherlands, which sem to support Sweden in recent years. The qualification of the country for another year is 100% sure.

Emerging forces

Australia

With the country’s debut in 2015 and fifth place, the far-off country showed its strength from the very beginning. Either under the support of the audience or the committees, Australia has managed to declare a present for three years in the final and even with a weak song like last year’s finish in the top ten.

Hungary

Although since 2011 Hungary was not so strong in the semifinals, afterwaeds,it has not lost no its final. The country, regardless of song, achieves a good result at least in the semifinal, because it can also get votes from Balkan countries  as well as from northern countries because of the geographical location.

Poland

Another country that has been showing a win in the past few years is Poland. After two years of absence, the country returned in 2014 and has never been blocked ever since. Apart from Germany that traditionally supports the neighboring country, it has not acquired a stable ally but is firmly voted by many northern European countries.

Among the countries that are largely in favor of the qualification according to the statistics, Serbia, the Netherlands and Norway are among the most important. By contrast, countries such as San Marino, Malta, Montenegro or Slovenia will find it difficult to win a ticket for Saturday’s final. So the second semifinal can be “easier” in terms of song quality, but if we look at it more closely, we will find many possible countries with a high level of qualification.