Let me try all over again: TVR confirms Romania’s participation in Stockholm

After Ukraine’s confirmation earlier today, it is time for other Eastern-European fans of Eurovision to rejoice: Romania will be present at the song contest in Stockholm, according to a decision quietly adopted by the board of broadcaster TVR.

TVR is yet to officially announce the news and a schedule for Selectia Nationala, but the decision, which has been posted online last week and has only just been discovered by Eurofans, states that its board has approved Romania’s application for participation in Stockholm. The news will come as no surprise to many: Romania has been a constant presence at the song contest and is one of the few countries to always make it to the Grand Final since the introduction of the semi-finals. However, the country’s participation has recently been put into question because of TVR’s outstanding payments to the EBU and other national institutions. But apparently the financial issues have been dealt with and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. It’s a miracle!

Last year, TVR hosted the national selection in Craiova. Popular pop-rock band Voltaj won the final and and went on to finish 15th in Vienna with the bilingual song “De la capat (All Over Again)”.

Although always successful in advancing from the semi-finals, Romania is yet to bring home the crown, being the only remaining country always to qualify but never to host. Its best result so far is third place in 2005 with “Let Me Try”, performed by Luminita Anghel & Sistem, and the same in 2010, when Paula Seling and Ovi performed “Playing With Fire”.

Speaking of the Romanian power duo, the two have been recently spotted in a music studio, and Ovi has confirmed to wiwibloggs that he wants to write a power ballad for Paula Seling.

Moreover, Cezar “The Voice” Ouatu, the countertenor who made headlines with his vampire-inspired performance of “It’s My Life” in 2013, has been quoted as saying that he might return to the Eurovision arena in 2016. Two years ago, he finished 13th in Malmö, but apparently he wants to come back for more.

It will be interesting to see who ends up winning Selectia Nationala, although details regarding the Romanian NF are yet to be made public. Meanwhile, who would you like to see representing Romania in 2016?

Photo: TVR

Interviews: Voltaj (Romania 2015)

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