Following last week’s confirmation of non participation in Eurovision 2020, the Montenegrin broadcaster has released today a statement regarding the reason behind the country’s withdrawal from the competition.

Last week RTCG confirmed to ESCToday that Montenegro had withdrawn from Eurovision 2020, after having worked its level best to be present in Rotterdam and surpassing an extension granted by the EBU in order to confirm its participation.

The Montenegrin broadcaster has decided to pull out of the contest in 2020 due to poor results and the financial constraints entailing participation.

RTCG’s Director General Mr. Bozidar Sundic has decided that Montenegro will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam next year.

According to the management of RTCG, the Montenegrin national broadcaster must act responsibly and purposefully spend the funds it receives from the budget.

RTCG’s relased the following statement:

The Eurovision Song Contest participation costs around € 130,000 each year. Our representatives have mostly achieved modest results, hardly qualifying to the Grand Final. So this year we have decided to invest that money in the RTCG fleet renewal. The plan is to buy five new cars, whhich will significantly improve the safety of our crews, who exceed over 1,000 kilometers every day.

Montenegro in Eurovision

Montenegro debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest as a solo country in 2007 with Stefan Faddy and is yet to win the competition. The country achieved its best results in the contest in 2015 with Knez‘s Balkan ballad Adio.

The former Yugoslav republic has only made it to the Eurovision Grand Final on two occasions, namely in 2014 and 2015. The Balkan country has competed in Europe’s favourite television show 11 times.

In 2019 Montenegro selected its Eurovision hopeful and entry for Tel Aviv via its traditional national final Montevizija. D Mol were crowned the winners of Montevizija 2019 and were awarded the golden ticket to Israel with their entry Heaven. Despite a great peformance the Montenegro failed to qualify to the Grand Final for the fourth consecutive year.