Susanne Georgi has been fighting hard to get Andorra back to Eurovision.
As we reported back in May, Andorra’s last Eurovision singer has secured a private sponsor to cover the costs of the country’s return to the song contest. She presented a proposal to the Andorran president Xavier Espot and RTVA director Xavier Mujal back in 2019 and has been awaiting a response.
Well now they’ve answered and, as she tells me on the Wiwibloggs podcast, which you can listen to below, “it’s only good news.”
Long story short: She says the country plans to return to Eurovision in 2022, after the Covid-19 pandemic has hopefully subsided.
Andorra will likely return to Eurovision 2022
“We’ve been having conversations on and off, but since there’s been so much going on with the Covid, I felt like I was paused for a little bit.”
“As you know I’ve been quite pushy. I had a lovely, lovely meeting just a few days ago. And I must say it’s only good news.”
“The government is very positive. There is sort of a verbal green light, but not for 2021. I’m also agreeing with that 100%. We think it’s too soon. Here we’re still fighting with the Covid…and we’re just too afraid of spending all this work and money and hard work on something that maybe won’t be able to happen in 2021.”
So the idea is to return to Eurovision in 2022.
“It’s a new government and they do listen to the country. For many years I felt I was knocking my hands into a big pillow and nothing would happen. But I really feel heard, and they really want to do something for the music scene and the artists of Andorra….We just need to get over this huge crisis we have.”
“There is still nothing officially signed — this is all verbal. It’s been at meetings. It’s not my job to say we’re going officially — that would have to come from the TV station or the government. But I think it’s positive we have this debate going now. Verbally, it is sort of confirmed.”
“I’m super happy. I’m super thrilled. I feel like I’ve finally been heard.”
As Susanne told us in an interview over the summer, she wants to secure a commitment to participate for three years. While she’s open to singing for the country at Eurovision again, she’s more interested in becoming the Head of Delegation first — to steer the country back into the contest and to showcase other artists in the country.
Contest winner
Finally, it’s congratulations to Eurovision fan Martin in Denmark! We ran an Instagram contest asking for fans to say why they wanted to see Andorra back in the contest. I chose a comment at random and it was his. He’ll receive an autographed “Get a Life” CD from Susanne herself. Here’s what he wrote:
“I want Andorra to return to the contest to hopefully experience their culture and see what they’ll be able to bring into the competition a decade after they withdrew. Besides, if Andorra joins the competition, there might be a possibility that other microstates and small countries either debut or return.”
Are you excited to hear these developments? Are you already looking forward to Eurovision 2022? Let us know in the comments down below!
I find it a bit odd and surprising that Andorra, who have been absent for such a long time, are coming back to the contest. I can’t think of any reason why they would want to come back all of a sudden.
Last year’s elections had the ruling party lose their majority. They had to form a coalition government. They picked the party that was in the majority back when Andorra last participated in Eurovision, to be the junior partner. So, maybe the UL was given the position that decides on Eurovision participation.
I feel like it’s worth mentioning that there are 100% at least two countries in the EBU that actively want to take part and can’t, and that’s really just Bosnia and Herzegovina (because of their continued budget problems) and Andorra (for all the reasons detailed above). Realistically, save for the countries that just pulled out and Kazakhstan, they’re the only ones I would actually pay attention to regarding whether or not they’ll return to Eurovision. Anyone who’s genuinely disappointed at this point by Luxembourg, Monaco, Slovakia, and Turkey taking another year off is setting their expectations too high. (And unlike… Read more »
I am happy to hear this. I really hope they come back with a quality entry. Susanne herself or Nick Bain (the singer of Anonymous) would be a great choice of a performer, but I’d be happy to discover a new talent too. All the best! 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andorra live in ESC. So that’s a big news.
If this is true, then I’ll be very excited for 2022! It’s a very happy news when a country that hasn’t participated in a very long time decides to come back. Just look at Poland in JESC, they participated in 2003-2004 with very poor results and withdrew for a very long time, and finally in 2016 they came back. Now they have won 2 times in a row in 2018/2019! If Andorra comes back in 2022 we HAVE TO get them to the final, because they’re the only country to not have qualified. If they get success in the contest… Read more »
We just won because we were the majority audiences and voters of the show. “Superhero” is a good and deserved winning song but “Anyone I want to be” is just a little above average. Roxie delivered a good live but Viki’s vocal wasn’t on point. I am proud we won but I still see more deserve winner from both years.
Poland a good example after their two victories thanks the polish televote…. no sorry, just no! Polish producers and the polish team have killed the contest just to protect their viki last year #RunningOrder and many other things. I’m not the only eurofans angry by these things even some Hods, and we all already know how it will end this year if the jesc happens. A victory of Poland in Poland in a contest 100 per cent done by a polish team…all is normal, nobody says nothing, wtf!? The withdrawals are mainly because of Covid but a little part too… Read more »
Okay, but you gotta really appreciate their enthusiasm for Junior Eurovision. They have made Eurovision something Polish people are excited for and genuinely want to get a good placement in. I’m not really mad about Poland winning the contest 2 times in a row. They had/have been an underdog in both JESC/ESC, so seeing them do so well in a contest makes me happy. And by the way this post is about Andorra, so why the hate on Poland?
Any country showing that level of enthusiasm is encouraging if it’s making them send better entries.
I don’t hate Poland at all, I just hate their way to appropriate themselves an european contest for children by ruining the televote by their chauvinism, they are enthusiastics good for them but they make lost the enthusiasm of the others, it’s the junior eurovision song contest not the junior polish song contest. They have won 2 times in a row ok but they have lost their credibility for me.
The online vote got introduced a year before Poland’s first win and they only finished seventh in both the jury and online vote. I don’t think it’s more than just two particularly strong, very hyped-up entries in a row. Call me naive, but that’s how it is. Same reason not every Polish entry at the adult contest gets a televote finish like “Color of Your Life.” Diaspora can only do so much!
I mean, dang! The Netherlands won the online vote and Malta came second! Either there are more Dutch and Maltese voters than I thought or – I dunno – they had good songs!
These two countries have not won two years in a row thanks the televote, of course the interest and the number of voters in the Netherlands is one of the highest since years, so it helps to get always good results in the televote, I mean to get good results but not to win by a big margin the televote two years in a row as for Poland. When it’s a small country as for Malta then we can say that they are awarded really and fairly for the quality of the song they send, it’s not always the case… Read more »
The difference between 2017 and 2018 for Poland is that Roxanna Wiegel was already very very famous in Poland and she has brought in some ways her fans and new people into the contest, and the interest has forcefully largely increased in Poland, knowing that it was already high, the voters have increased too, so the votes for Poland too, it was not the case for 2017 they were not so much behind their entry and many people were sceptical about the new online vote system and there was a sort of click in 2018 thanks to Roxanna. And in… Read more »
Oooh, this could be good news for Andorra in 2022, but when Andorra might return in 2022, who will represent Andorra? Will Andorra borrow an artist from Spain or France or they will just find a native artist from Andorra? For some reason, Andorra will most likely borrow an artist from Spain or France.
Try telling that to Cyprus
Well I don’t understand, if a country like Cyprus (population of 1 million) decides to choose an artist outside of it’s country, but for a country like San Marino (population of 34 000) and Andorra (population of 77 000) it’s quite understandable.
In my opinion Nina M would be a great choice for Andorra!
Yes, Nina M for Andorra 2022!
Actually, Andorra have previously selected acts coming from other countries.
Susanne Georgi herself is based in Andorra but was originally from Denmark.
I’m happy cause in one month it’s the 1st september, and from this date all realized entries could be a potential entry for the esc 2021, it means the esc 2021 will become more concrete in some ways….. In less 1 month we will have the ogae second chance result. From september too we will have the jesc entries revealed little by little. It means we will have, us, the eurofans a little busy time after the big hole left by the cancellation of this year. So I’m happy if Andorra come back, but before the esc 2022 the next… Read more »
And apparently in september too we will have the first Esc 2021 entry from Greece Stefania, it’s very soon, isn’it exciting? First time since years Albania won’t be the first to reveal their entry…
Susanne is my hero, I’ll make her a statue. Imagine, a woman making so many efforts all these years to make an entire country shine at Eurovision. Besides, I love her entry in Moscow, it should have qualified. I do hope next time, if their entry is good, Europe make Andorra qualify. Keep going, Susanne! Andorra’s comeback will make 2021 worth the wait.
Sorry, I mean “2022”…
I think you’re wrong this time, so I won’t leave
I’m gonna change your mind with something to believe in
You’ve got to get a life, that’s what you say to me
But I would rather die, if you’re not in it with me
I’m gonna get a life, the kind that’s made for two
I know there’s only one, I wanna live it with you
Fantastic news! It’d be great to have another country back that we’d long ago consigned to the “never coming back” zone.
Slovakia and Turkey are coming soon ….
To quote John Cena, “Are you SURE about that?”
Turkey hate jurys and Conchita so i dont think so. remember why they quit.
I dunno, their Minister of Culture seems keen on the idea. Slovakia I’m more skeptical about since their broadcaster doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in coming back (because Slovakia lag behind their neighbors in the Czech Republic when it comes to good international PR post-breakup of Czechoslovakia. I have a friend from Slovakia who keeps lamenting that her country has never had as strong an international reputation because their government didn’t invest nearly enough money into local culture post-breakup, while the Czechs immediately went about strengthening international relations and promoting Prague as an important city of culture. Probably part… Read more »
And just today they confirmed Slovakia’s not coming back in 2021. Enjoy your continued struggle to promote your culture when you keep shooting yourselves in the foot!
Thats a pity
That’s just the excuse. What Turkey hates, especially under Erdogan, are the gays.
So many comments and no one mentioned she said Andorra isn’t coming back in 2021 ’cause of possibility that ESC21 won’t happen haha But how come no one’s mentioning that ESC might be canceled next year again? It’s most likely that 2022 is the only safe bet!
Think positive!
It’s not going to be cancelled again, the ebu already said it. More and more borders are reopening. I think worst case scenario is eurovision without audience but there is already a green light that there will be a vaccine in November. We need to be hopeful for the best instead of being afraid from the worst
The goal is to do Eurovision no matter what. That’s what the EBU is committed to. In some way, shape, or form, Eurovision will resume in 2021, and this cancelation will hopefully become the only time such a measure has to be taken. (And in hindsight, I feel pretty confident in saying they made the right choice, given how things only got worse in Europe before they slowly but surely started to get better. Even now, with everyone who suggested doing it in November at the time, a country like Australia or North Macedonia still probably would’ve said no, and… Read more »
Great ! Hope they bring their A – game maybe an Andorran artist with foreign song -writing team would work the best for them ( but choose a Spanish or a French one perhaps).
Good news for Spain
why? Mikis staging was horrible and he was out of breath because of the circus act so not even Andorras jury would vote for it
You never know
maybe but they would be very lonely then
Yay! Epic! I hope this happens. I was born in 2007 so by the time Andorra withdrew I was 2 years old so I don’t remember the country in the contest. I hope they return AND THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR ONCE! Honestly they’ve tried 6 times and still nothing… It’s the only country that has participated and hasn’t reached the final…
Cool I was born in 2006,there aren’t many eurofans who are our age!
This is fantastic news, a little disappointing it’s not 2021, but I understand the reasoning to hold off and wait until 2022
Great job Susanne!
I would be happy with that, but I don’t believe it.
I guess we’ll have to see, but hopefully they come back 🙂 Also, they’re the only country to never qualify to the grand final, so they deserve to do so at least once!
On another topic, how bad is Covid-19 in Andorra?
That Boyband a few years back probably deserved to qualify. Maybe Valentina could throw her hat in the ring?
Their song was good, their vocals not so much. If the juries had been around, they might have been able yo save them due to the song.
Covid-19 is about the same as most places in Andorra. Big number of cases March/April, curve flattened, then a minor spike when they eased restrictions at the start of June.In all less than 1000 cases for a population of around 77K.
Miki 2022.
Miki? He can try again for Spain if he wants. Bring on the Andorran talent! Susanne herself said there are several artists from Andorra who would be fond of representing their country at Eurovision.
You are not the judge of who is allowed to represent Andorra. Miki’s album included songs in Catalan. If a Dane living in Andorra could represent the country, he could as well. And in case you haven’t noticed, Spain always finds ways to ruin its artist’s chances.
Also: Marian van de Wal.
Susanne and Marian both lived (and still live) in Andorra when they represented the country. By now, they might even have been naturalized. Miki does not live in Andorra.
Why would you even bring Miki up, anyway?
Because he also sings in Catalan and I think he could achieve a good result if he had a good delegation who cares. Do you know Marian? Does she still have that hotel in Andorra?
OMG I hope so so much that this happens. I never really liked many Andorran songs except for La Teva Decisio and Salvem El Mon but I am ALL for new countries and more languages (bcos we know that Andorra will most likely be using Catalan for all or most of their upcoming entries). Also, there isn’t really a lack of artists at Andorra’s disposal, because not only are there many good Andorran artists, there is also a wide range of Catalonian artists from the Barcelona region which is very similar culturally and linguistically to Andorra. Fingers crossed for 2022
She’d became the head of delegation of Andorra ? It would be amazing to see a former contestant being HoD, lol.
Christer Björkman did
Coming 2nd last was just too impressive.
he was IN ESC. its hard to even be there, you know that to.
Beyond that, several commentators and hosts have also been HoD’s. One of the hosts from 2012 was the HoD for Azerbaijan at least a few years ago.
i know. its still hard to go to esc if you not are Valentina Monetta or Serhat. they only pay to go. In Sweden we cant pay to go to ESC
…what does that have to with anything?
I believe Pat Kenny says in his 1993 commentary that Shay Healy (the songwriter of “What’s Another Year?”) was the Irish HoD that year. At the very least, he was in the green room with Niamh Kavanagh, and if he WAS the HoD, it sure paid off!
This is sort of cool. But I hope it’s not a one time come back, they should come back for good.
I hope Andorra will come back in 2022, but officially