Some weeks ago MRT, the national broadcaster of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, asked you to decide how—and whether—it should participate in Eurovision 2015. Well the public has spoken, and the country won’t withdraw from the competition, as more than 50% of voters responded that the show must go on (and with FYR Macedonia involved in it). MRT has also decided how it will select its representative: in the way you wanted!
“There were many who wanted the country to pull out of the contest, but there were more who want to see FYR Macedonia on the big stage in 2015,” says Maria Popova, a spokeswoman for MRT. The representative will be chosen through the established music festival Skopje Fest, using a classic 50% jury voting and 50% televoting system on November 13. In addition, MRT has announced that applications for Skopje Fest can be made until July 31, and not July 15 as they declared previously.
FYR Macedonia participated in Eurovision 2014 in Denmark with Tijana’s “To The Sky” which didn’t make it to the final. In 2015 we may see a more successful entry from Skopje Fest!
what a farce. the poll decided fyrom to withdraw but they make it look like it’s the other way around. mess. i knew they wouldn’t dare leaving the contest.
@D I know, but you just have to accept that some countries will never win Eurovision (again) and that is a fact. The Czech Republic threw in the towel because they thought that they would never QUALIFY for the final, let alone win. I think that all of the Western Countries (apart from Portugal and Luxembourg) have a good chance of winning since the reintroduction of the juries in 2009 and since then, a western country has won every year with the exception of 2011. Don’t mind what inexperienced people write in tabloids about the UK’s chances at Eurovision or… Read more »
@Deven
Any country can win given a good song, and I’m extremely surprised you included countries like Belarus, Montenegro, and Macedonia in there. All of them are apart of extremely powerful voting blocs and could easily win given a good song. If countries Estonia, Latvia, Serbia, Finland, and Malta can win Eurovision events, any country can. Especially considering Malta had no voting partners in this year’s Junior Eurovision.
Again, I hope that FYROM win Eurovision at some point, I really do. But I just can’t see it. I’m sorry. Finland and Austria’s wins in the last 10 years were once offs. Apart from their victories, their records since 2004 have been nothing short of abysmal. I will give you a list of countries that may never win (again): 1. FYROM 2. Montenegro 3. Portugal 4. Lithuania 5. Latvia 6. Turkey (They are unlikely to return. I would not include them if they were still here.) 7. Slovakia 8. Czech Republic 9. Belarus 10. Poland 11. Bulgaria 12. Luxembourg… Read more »
Again, I hope FYROM
I’d like to point out Deven that just because a country is perpetually crap (or robbed) doesn’t mean they can’t win. Finland is the Portugal that has won, after all.
@Be Happy What? I am just being honest and telling it as it is. Macedonia may never win. Just accept it.
PS: Still be happy. 😀
I hope Poland will withdraw after that awfully hypocritic and polonophobic jury results this year.
@Deven O’Kearney please stop comment. Just stop.
@D – I thought that the banning for rule infractions was far more categorical than it actually is, so I guess I won’t count Georgia out yet. Regarding Latvia, the rumours that I’d heard claimed that they’d leave if they didn’t qualify this year, but 1) upon further research, they don’t come from any reputable sources and 2) those rumours come about every year (which I didn’t know), so they might still be in as well.
please don’t bring that christmass tree with horrible voice on eurovision stage, and certainly doesn’t need to be attached to another singer which was rather hillarious
@Calvin
What makes Georgia and Latvia “likely withdrawing”, I’ve not heard any news about Latvia withdrawing and only rumours that Georgia may be disqualified (which I don’t believe). Also, you forgot that Bulgaria is likely returning as well as the possibility of Bosnia and the Czech Republic coming back.
It’s Macedonia… not FYROM…
Huzzah! As the only person in the world who liked “To the Sky,” I’m quite thrilled about the return of that square Balkan country with the naming dispute that I’m not touching with a ten-foot pole.
This means that:
Likely returning: Cyprus, Serbia, Croatia
Likely withdrawing: Israel, Georgia, Latvia
Which brings our net to 0.
I don’t agree. They can win the contest with their own language, why not?
if they send a good one you don’t need to understand the lyrics, just FEEL the song.
Seria 2012. 3rd
Italy 2011. runner-up.
If always the winner is an English song is just because most of the countries sing in that language.
I hope Macedonia chooses a song like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPtD0mBmbqM A beautiful ballad sung by a female in the native language. But of course that song won Skopje Fest one of the years Macedonia was relegated. And with the likely return of most of the Ex-Yugoslavs I think they can do well with a good song. And to everyone saying that the Macedonian broadcaster didn’t follow the results, you are wrong. There were two options to stay and one two leave. If you add up the votes for the two options to stay, it is greater than the option to… Read more »
Guys, Seriously!
As much as I love having the Balkan countries at ESC. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have not a hope in hell in ever winning.
With the way Macedonia is going, I can’t see a win for them any time soon, if ever. Tijana looked like P!NK trying to sing a rip off of Rita Ora’s ”I Will Never Let You Down.”. Esma and Lozano’s song was Ruhuhuhubish and Kaliopi’s song was quite forgettable despite it’s good placing (good for Macedonia’s standards).
I hope I am wrong, but I am very,very,very,very,very worried about Skopje’s chances. 🙁
I like songs in the local language. What’s key is a beautiful song with phenomenal staging. That can be done in any language.
I predict a Serbian return this year so FYROM should get some points off that.
Woo hoo! I love having the Former Yugoslav countries at ESC. But let me make life real easy for the FYR Macedonia, I don’t think they will ever win Eurovision for a few reasons: 1. They always send songs in Macedonian (Apart from Tijana’s hot mess.). 2. They have a lot less neighbours since Bosnia Herzegovina, Turkey, Serbia and Croatia are no longer in it. 3. They have never placed any higher than 12th (2006) and I doubt they ever will. 4. The songs they send are horrific. 5. There is a serious lack of public interest in Macedonia compared… Read more »
lol I was a Greek who voted for Skopje Fest so~
Well f’ck off Greeks!!
Your votes helped…Hahahahaha:)
If you add up the two options for staying in the contest, regardless, of how the entry gets chosen, you end up with some number around 11,500. Thankfully, that’s over 10,100, which was the choice that said to leave the contest. Out of those who chose to stay, Skopje Fest got more votes. Macedonia DID in fact choose this result (thank god).
emmm… corruption again?
I’m happy but I saw NO… and finally more than 50% yes.. emmmmm….. This is not the result of Macedonian people.
According to the rules, there’s a chance of having songs written by foreign authors BUT the language in which the singers (again – those may be foreigners) must sing is Macedonian. So, Sweden, you have another playground to try out. Please, hurry – you have two weeks left. 🙂
Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmm last time I checked the vote was showing a Eurovision exit… Did they just continue anyway? Good for them.
Great news! 😀
Good that Macedonia did not withdraw