We’ve been feeling pretty upbeat about Eurovision 2015: nearly 20 countries have already confirmed their participation, and it has already emerged that we can expect a a return from Cyprus. But we shouldn’t get too comfortable. In recent days we learned about Israel’s likely withdrawal. And now we have another country signaling that it may step aside.
MRT Eurovision Poll
MRT, the state broadcaster of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, is asking the public how it should choose its Eurovision 2015 contestant—and whether it should compete at all. The results are worrying.
The public have three options in the poll.
1) Makedonskijot pretstavnik treba da bide pobednikot na Skopskijot Festival. (The entry should be the winning song from Skopje Fest)
2) Makedonskijot pretstavnik treba da se izbere po pat na interna selektsija vo MRT. (The entry should be chosen through an internal selection from MRT)
3) Makedonija ne treba vo’opshto da uchestvuva na Evrovizija. (Macedonia should not participate at Eurovision at all)
Here are the current results (accurate as of 4 June 2014 at 7pm GMT)
Macedonia should not participate on Eurovision at all: 1230 votes
The entry should be the winner of Skopje Fest: 410 votes
The entry should be chosen by internal selection from MRT: 170 votes
MRT says that it will take the public’s view into account when making its decision. Given that the country has only qualified for the final once since 2008, it’s understandable that MRT has withdrawl on its mind.
We can help change that. People outside of Macedonia can vote in the poll, so Eurofans who want to keep Eurovision numbers high should log on and vote for Option 1, to keep Macedonia in with the winner of Skopje Fest, or Option 2, to keep Macedonia in but to have MRT choose the entrant internally. YOU CAN VISIT THE POLL BY CLICKING HERE.
When you’re done, be sure to vote in our poll below, and then sound off in our comments section.
[polldaddy poll=8101095]
Photo: Eurovision.tv (EBU)
Macedonia stole all their culture from Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia! They should definitely not participate in ESC again! Nobody wants F.Y.R.O.M in Athens, Sofia or Belgrade!
But if you are tired of something, the idea of “OK, you win, I leave the contest” is not the solution. You should stay.
And you are not alone, think about the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan,.. Greece and Macedonia/Fyrom of… can live together.
Macedonia should withdraw for Name reasons, not for economic or results. Esc is fundamental event in Macedonia, very waited for. Everyones love it. But we can not accept negative comments from greeks on Youtube, their pressure about their name dispute.. We don’t need their votes,or money even their help or comments. We need just respect. So I hope really to see withdrawn my country from ESC, just for euqal rights. With MACEDONIA OR NOT, please NO FYR, no one country want it !!!
I am macedonian. I clicked No partecipation cause we don’t deserve to be called FYR Macedonian cause our Nation, Culture Language are under a name: Macedonia. No one other country should be called as us: with a lot of prenouns like FYR….
I really hope Macedonia stays. Kaliopi’s entry was outstanding, the best performance of 2012.
Hi guys
”Crno I Belo” came 13th for FYROM. If it was Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Romania or Ireland it would have been a top 5 placing.
Don’t Withdraw FYROM. 😀
I can definitely imagine a eurovision without fyrom, I only liked their songs in 2008 and 2012. But what concerns me is, where are they going to say 1000 times the word macedonia in order to convince europe that this is their name. Maybe on football?
Please stay FYR Macedonia! You have to keep participating in Eurovision! You should’nt withdraw! The contest needs you and all the other countries! The more the merrier!
Bring back Lozano! Him alone without Ezma, of course. This gentleman’s voice has a soul!
i can’t help but feel that a lot of greeks will be spam voting *withdraw*
Austria finally eon after 40 years. There are hopes. Don’t withdraw please
HI Easpag
Oh no, this is just in my spare time. The rest of the time I am studying for my exams. But yeah, all messing aside, the exams are going really well for me. I really want to get all honours in my JC.
Leave a reply. 😀
I don’t want Macedonia to withdraw! Tijana is probably my favourite Eurovision participant ever and the more countries in Eurovision the better.
I’m spanish and my favorite country in Esc is Macedonia! Love Lozano and love all!!
Please vote on that site for Macedonia to stay!!!!!!!
My country the Netherlands didn’t qualificated between 2005-2012. And now we became second. FYROM doesn’t have to withdraw due bad results, they have to search for a good song and a good singer/band.
It’s easy to kill a good song with a bad performance … seems like Macedonia is a champion in it… sad but true! 🙁
I like to discover new artists and I like the languages of the Balkans so I hope they will not withdraw and I hope that Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia will return in 2015! 🙂
Apart for Kalliopi they have never sent anything worth progressing to the final. That is the reason for their bad results…
The past entries were not even worth qualifying XD
Look at Crno I belo. Produce a GOOD song, being worth to qualify. Look at the Netherlands. We have send between 2005 and 2012 just bullshit, and now we participated with two good songs, and well, we qualify. And guess what, we even got 12 points from not-neighbours!
And of course Macedonia shouldn’t withdraw, how more countries, how more fun!
I was never really a fan of FYROM’s songs they were pretty bland and forgettable until 2014. So they can do it when they want to. But, I think a year or two of a break could make them improve, as was the case for Austria, Italy, Hungary and Poland after they withdrew and returned later.
Deven, you cray 🙂 Seriously, I’d focus on the exams more than here. Even for the first few days, once you get the last Maths Paper done, most of the hard exams are over. Especially Irish 2. You won’t see this until your out, but trust me, revising in the last few minutes will do you a world of good.
In Macedonia, rarely someone is interested in eurovision! Ask anyone, they’ll tell you it’s all about politics! I’m a eurovision fan and i totally agree. Maybe our songs weren’t good, but some of those who qualified were even worse! It’s a fact that we’re underrated and that will continue if we keep on participating! We’re only waiting for our diaspora voters, neighbours, ex-yu countries which is sad, but nobody else votes for us! For example Crno I Belo finished 13th but if it represented sweden, norway, denmark, russia , azerbaijan or ukraine it would have finished in top 5!! I… Read more »
I like how presenters say: Former Yougoslavian Republic Macedonia.., so, they should stay.
Hi guys
The results from the national polls in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia so far are EXTREMELY worrying from a fan’s point of view. I hope FYROM stay on and take part in Vienna next year.
Listen I have to run now, I have my Junior Cert Irish Paper 2 exam now in a few minutes. Leave a comment and I will read them when I am finished my exam. 😛
Eurovision NEEDS Macedonia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Being honest, Crno I Belo is the only Macedonian song that I have liked in the past 5 years. To The Sky was ok, but in general I feel that Macedonia has only really contributed to the amount of mediocre songs in the competition. Maybe a break of a year or two to gather themselves would be a good thing.
the country has only qualified for the final once since 2008 –> Wrong. They qualified in 2012. So what though? Netherlands was trying for 9 years to qualify! Same for Belgium, Cyprus and other nations.
I hope they withdraw because they give nothing to the contest and a break will make them reconsider.
In the nation poll the withdrawal option is in the lead by far. I really hope they will withdraw. Also this is a very good way to decide your participation, just asking the public. I would love to if all the 42 active ESC Countries would do that.
The best entry for Macedonia is Kaliopi. I voted for crno i belo in 2012. I still listen crno i belo and her scream is incredible
no MACEDONIA don’t do it !!! i can’t imagine eurovision without macedonia DONT WITDRAW