Yesterday multiple Eurovision fan outlets — including wiwibloggs — reported claims that Montenegro was withdrawing from Eurovision 2020. Today the Director-General of RTCG has hit back, saying that the broadcaster has not yet made a decision regarding its participation in Rotterdam.

Speaking to Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, RTCG’s Director-General Božidar Sundic said:

“I do not know who provided this information, but it cannot be accurate and official because we cannot talk about Eurovision before the RTCG Council decision. The Director-General cannot make that decision on his own, but he gives an order to the Council, whose session is officially decided on.”

Sundic also told the newspaper that he expected the RTCG Council would meet within a few days.

Mixed messages

The claim was first made by the Eurovision insider gossip blog HOD45, followed by the Greek Eurovision fan blog Eurovision Fun.

Reputable Eurovision news blog ESCToday then followed up with a representative of the broadcaster who confirmed to ESCToday that RTCG had withdrawn their application for Eurovision 2020.

The EBU reportedly gave RTCG an extension to finalise its participation, but it was unable to “meet the requirements” and so withdrew. ESCToday reported that RTCG “tried its very best to compete in Rotterdam but things didn’t materialise in the end.”

Wiwibloggs has also heard from two well-placed sources who say that Montenegro is indeed withdrawing.

Prior to Sundic’s comment, no one from RTCG had publicly spoken on the issue.

The EBU is expected to release the list of confirmed acts for Eurovision 2020 sometime in the next few weeks, which should settle the question of Montenegro’s participation in Rotterdam.

Montenegro at Eurovision

This won’t be the first occasion Montenegro has taken time off from the song contest. After debuting as an independent nation in 2007 and competing three times, Montenegro didn’t participate in 2010 and 2011, also for financial reasons.

Montenegro’s best years at Eurovision were 2014 and 2015, where Sergej Ćetković and Knez each made it to the grand final with emotional ballads in the Montenegrin language. Knez’s song “Adio” finished in 13th place in the grand final, giving Montenegro its best-ever result.

What do you think? Is there still hope for Montenegro? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!