France: France 2 goes internal for Eurovision 2020

After two years of  Destination Eurovision, the national selection through which the country determined its Eurovision entries, the national broadcaster, France 2, decided this year to return to an internal selection for Eurovision 2020. 

According to the newpaper  Le Parisien, the head of entertainment at France Télévisions, Alexandra Redde-Amiel, stated that France 2 won’t be holding Destination Eurovision for a 3rd successive year. The reasons for such decision relate to the low viewing rates of the national final in comparison to the Eurovision final itself and the objective to regain control of the selection. 

Alexandra Redde-Amiel, stated specifically:

We want to control the process more, with an internal selection. This is what Spain and England (sic) will do this year. We will deploy our forces differently. We are considering several possibilities. […] By changing our process, we hope to get closer to the podium in 2020

According to the same report by  Le Parisien, the French entry will be unveiled via a TV show more likely in March.

The Eurovision Story so far

France is  one of the seven countries that had its first participation back in 1956. Since then the country has won the contest 5 times. Last time was in 1977, with Marie Myriam and her song L’oiseau et l’enfant. The last two years, however,  seems to be an increasing interest for the contest .

Destination Eurovision  was used for the first time as the country’s national selection format in 2018, including two recorded semi final shows and a live grand final. Last year was the first time France held a nationa final since 2014. Last year’s winners was the duo Madame Monsieur who represented France in Lisbon with their entry “Mercy” which finished 13th.

In 2019 Bilal Hassani won the second edition of Destination Eurovision 2019 and defended the French colours in Tel Aviv with his entry Roi which came 16th in the Grand final.