Eurovision 2020: It’s a “Yes” from Albania and Serbia and a “No” from Luxembourg once again

The Albanian national broadcaster, RTSH,  has confirmed that Albania will participate at the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands.

Specifically RTSH has confirmed to the media outlet of ESCToday that it will be present at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest and joining the party in the Netherlands in May 2020.  For once more the Albanian act and entry will be determined through the traditional Albanian national selection format of Festivali i Kenges.

THE PROCESS

RTSH has made an open call to acts and composers to submit their songs through the submission window that will stay open up to September 2019. Interested acts and composers can send in their entries at RTSH’s e mail address:  festival@rtsh.al or at RTSH’s office in Tirana.

The Eurovision Story So far

In 2004 Albania debuted in the contest  with Anjeza Shahini with the entry “The Image of You”, which came 7th . The country hasn’t scored a victory yet in its 15 participations up to date. Its best result was achieved in 2012 with Rona Nishliu and her 5th placing in Baku with her song “Suus”. 

In 2019 Jonida Maliqi won the Festivali i Kenges 2018   and became the 16th Albanian representative in Eurovision. Her song Ktheju Tokes ended in the 17th place of the Grand final.

SERBIA

This week’s second confirmation of participation in the next edition of Eurovision Song Contest came from RTS, the Serbian national broadcaster.

The Serbian broadcaster confirmed to ESCToday that the country will be participating in the 65th edition of the competition in The Netherlands. Although the Serbia hasn’t revealed further details on the national selection format it is likely that the broadcaster will opt for traditional mechanism of Beovizija.

The Eurovision Story so far

Serbia participated as an independent state in the contest in 2007, a year which the country was crowned winner with Marija Šerifović and her entry Molitva remains the only country to win on its debut in the contest. (apart from Switzerland which won in the first edition of the contest back in 1956).

The country hosted the contest in 2008 and has a total of 10 participations and one year of absence (2014) It has achieved to qualify 7 times in the final while 3 times it didn’t make it for only one place  (10th in 2009, 11th in 2013 &  2017). Besides her victory Serbia as achieved 3 more time a top 10  placing (6th in 2008, 3rd in 2012, 10th in 2015).

Before its full independence Serbia participated twice as part of the Serbia- Montenegrin Federation (2nd in 2004 and 7th in 2005), while since 1961 until 1992 participated as part of the united then Yugoslavia. Six of these Yugoslavian entries came from the Serbian region. Yugoslavia had won the contest once, in 1989.

Last year, the winner of “Beovizija 2019” Nevena Bozovic represented the country with her entry “Kruna” which finished 18th in the Grand final at Expo Tel Aviv.

Luxembourg

RTL, the Luxembourgish national broadcaster has ruled out Eurovision 202o participation.

Surprise Suprise…. no suprise as Luxembourg has confimred that for another year it won’t return to the comeptition. Specifically RTL has confimred to ESCToday that the country won’t be making any comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. This means that it will be joining Andorra, Slovakia and Bosnia & Herzegovina that will remain absent in 2020 t00.

Although the country has won the competition 5 times,  Luxembourg’s national broadcaster justifies its decision of not returning by outlining the interest of the channel mostly in the news section than music and entertainment shows. In addition, due to  the low budget of the channel a participation in the contest will be  a financial and organizational strain on the channel.

The Eurovision Story so Far

And all this would have been insignificant for a tiny European landlocked country if this country wasn’t one of the found members of EBU that participated in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 in Lugano. Luxembourg has achieved an admirable total of five victories in the contest (1961,1965,1972,1973, 1983) However the low placing in the contest and the low TV rating in the country has probably kept it many years away from the Eurovision Stage. Luxembourg was last seen in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 in Millstreet when Modern Times represented the country with the song Donnez Moi Une Chance De Te Dire and achieved a 20th placing.

Source : ESCToday