Earlier this month, Hungary was not on the confirmed list of countries participating in Eurovision 2020. Fans were left frustrated when broadcaster MTVA did not give a reason for its withdrawal. The issue has now been raised in the Hungarian parliament, however the government would not comment on the issue.
Hungarian newspaper Magyar Hang reports that politician Péter Ungár, an MP of the green-liberal party LMP, asked the government why Hungary was not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
The Parliamentary Secretary of State Bence Rétvári refused to answer the question. He said that “No member of the government has the possibility to revise nor to control the decisions of the public broadcaster — thus the decision regarding the production mentioned in the question.”
The government’s inability to get involved in matters of the broadcaster means that Hungarian Eurovision fans are no closer to learning why MTVA will not be participating in Rotterdam.
Magyar Hang notes that the public broadcaster has previously put a lot of effort into finding Hungary’s entry for Eurovision each year. The paper speculates that Hungary’s non-qualification at Eurovision 2019 may have been the tipping point for the broadcaster deciding to withdraw.
MTVA will still hold its national song competition A Dal. However the 2020 edition of the show will not be used to select Hungary’s act for Eurovision. Instead the winner will receive the Petofi Music Award and a cash prize.
Hungary’s history of withdrawals
Hungary’s MTVA has a history of withdrawals at Eurovision. After their 1994 debut, Hungary ended up taking a break between 1999 and 2004. After their return in 2005, they took the years 2006 and 2010 off, citing financial difficulties.
Since then, they’ve had an impressive qualification streak from 2011 to 2018, including three top-ten finishes. Hungary also regularly does well with songs in the Hungarian language, though its most recent Hungarian entry — Joci Pápai’s “Az én apám” — failed to qualify.
Other countries have taken a year off from Eurovision with impressive results on their return. Ukraine didn’t compete in 2015 due to the Crimea situation and won on their 2016 return. Likewise, Portugal didn’t compete in 2016 due to financial issues and won on their 2017 return.
What do you think? Should the broadcaster be compelled to share its reasons for withdrawing? Tell us your thoughts below!
I feel so sorry for all the Esc fans in Hungary and especially for young gay teens.
I’m not gay myself. Just a Swedish 46 old mellonerd, a mum that love mello and ESC. I wish I and other people that are straight could do something for the gay people in Hungary.
Love to all fans in Hungry from Sweden.
Well hungary think ESC is too gay appearently and that is the reason, well they can go f*** themselves, you will not be missed
I find it hard to believe that just one year of not qualifying is enough of a reason to totally withdraw! Az en epam was a pretty descent song as well, sometimes strange things just happen and a good song or two gets lost in the semis. I’m sure there’s some sort of political reason that they are trying to cover up.
I reckon it’s because Orban does not like Frans Timmermans and/or The Netherlands. Can’t think of anything else. If you’ve seen what sort of propaganda was shown in Hungary towards Dutch EU-politicians during the last elections; that’s not even civil anymore. 🙁
But at least Poland has muscles, and will join the party! 😀
At first I thought it was because Hungary and the Netherlands aren’t the best friends and stuff but that’s probably just a stupid thought.
The Netherlands has close ties with almost every eastern European country except with Ukraine and Russia
What do you mean with close ties? That they do trade? That Shell ‘invests’ in those countries? The Netherlands is also one of the few countries that tries to hinder EU accession negotiations with countries like Albania and Serbia. And indeed, it was a Dutch MP who came up with sanctions to Hungary because of Orbán’s anti-democratic ruling. And – even though it’s some years ago – there was a so-called Poles-reporting-hotline installed by an infamous but large Dutch political party: Dutch people could report Polish and other Eastern Europeans that bother them, in the streets for example or at… Read more »
#OpenUp!
Shame on them! What about The Netherlands, FYR Macedonia or Latvia not qualifying into the final for 6-7-8 years in a row and still participating?…. Hungary, it’s you to blame, being in your comfort zone and picking a mediocre song to represent you instead of choosing the best…
Can you just say MTVA instead of Hungary? Thank you.
I believe that one reason why Hungary failed to qualify is because Juries in A Dal have too much power. It was like they want Joci to go through and they sent him with three bland songs to the second round leaving The Middletonz and Fatal Error behind. And we all knew it before that Az en apam is nowhere near Origo and probably will have a hard time to qualify (and it ended like that). ESC is still a music competition, but if you don‘t give enough effort or send a borderline qualifier, you could fail, it‘s easy like… Read more »
As a Hungarian I’m sure the reason is that ESC became a huge LGBT ‘propaganda’ event and it’s not a real music competition anymore. And our government that hates every kind of liberal things has a great friendship with Turkey and they withdrew for the same reasons despite saying something else, everyone knows this was the reason. Although I hate our government I can agree with them in this. ESC should be a music competition and every kind of propaganda (political, LGBT etc.) should be banned. People should find another place for such things. I guess MTVA wanted to leave… Read more »
@dtsgrs
Stay strong! Hungary will be back for the right reasons. Conchita doesn’t have the consistent career that a serious lgbt person would want from Conchita Wurst as a role model. What a failure is s/he for the lgbt comunity! When will be about music again and not about Duncan nudity, maybe Italy will win. What a class act Mahmood! No cards played. And Joci Papai was so good twice, people don’t understand that he had a great success just to be picked twice.
the facts that certain european governments would look up to second-world countries like turkey is quite pathetic, it’s like giving a slap in the face to their own citizens lmfao. anyway reminder that no such thing as ‘lgbt propaganda’ exists. gays DO exist and we will get representation no matter how much y’all bigots complain.
Technically, Hungary is also a second-world country. Our government might not be as bad as certain others but things don’t exactly go according to western democratic values either.
Western values are still most pronounced in Hungary and Poland, leftist degenerates cannot represent “Western values” despite their temporary regimes in western Europe.
Enjoy the slow collapse of the leftist EUssr system.
You have been totally brainwashed…
I feel sometimes its a BIG night club for gay men in the audience so i can agree on that. All countries dont want to the contest to be a gay show like that. I dont.
found the sweden democrats voter
lol! I don’t mind the gays, but it it’s true that I use to hate Eurovision, when it was actually just a circus( 2000-2008 or so) it’s getting better amd better every year I think.
That is typical right wing talk right there. What kind of propaganda do you think you found? A few random songs doesn’t make it propaganda, you need to prove the whole contest is propaganda
And as I remember it your country gave Conchita 10 points so clearly you all fell for her “propaganda” to. And next year, 2015, you sent a very political song about war and children dying which should count as propaganda too. Don¨t blame others when you’re not better yourself..
Propaganda is defined as “information or ideas that are spread by an organized group or government, to influence people’s opinions, especially by not giving all the facts, or by secretly emphasizing only one way of looking at the facts”. Since the Hungarian government/broadcaster does not want to showcase and broadcast content with a LGBT connection, how is that not a propaganda in itself? I mean go back to the definition I just gave… They are influencing people’s opinions, by not giving all the facts (i.e., that LGBT people actually exist), and in essence are secretly emphasizing that the heterosexual way… Read more »
LGBT Propaganda?
My friend you have some serious thinking to do. You are a closeted homophobic person. You have been outed.
“Don’t ask me why we left because I don’t know”
Again do you even have any idea in politics, Turkey and Hungary don’t have the same regime. In Slovenia where I’m from the minister of the government or the president have nothing to do with the RTV, the only thing that connects them is that the government finances them (and Hungary has the same regime – just that’s it’s more right). Don’t even know why some people think it’s the government’s fault?!
this. no government in the eu has the total control on their broadcaster like there would be in a de facto dictatorship like turkey
You can’t be serious with this statement. Where are you from? Def not Eastern Europe.
If, indeed, their withdrawal stems from not qualifying for the grand-final this year, despite putting “a lot of effort into finding Hungary’s entry for Eurovision”, as speculated by that paper, I would also not state that reason for withdrawal publicly and explicitly, because it is the single most dumbest reason for withdrawing, and actually quite insulting to the other participating countries, as it alludes to the notion that some nations who did qualify for the grand-final this year, did not put as much effort as they did.
A move on saving face, but it failed.
“Simply taking a break for now” may just be good an answer as any.