Earlier this week, the EBU released the list of the 41 countries competing in Eurovision 2020. And with it came the confirmation that Montenegro would not be among those competing in Rotterdam. Now broadcaster RTCG has revealed their reasons for withdrawing — and what they’ll be doing with the budget instead.

RTCG management confirmed that Director-General Božidar Šundić decided that Montenegro would not participate in Eurovision 2020.

Šundić previously spoke last week, following media reports of Montenegro’s withdrawal. At the time he said that a decision had not yet been made.

RTCG management has now confirmed that its reason for leaving Eurovision 2020 is financial. The broadcaster says that it must act responsibly and spend its budget with purpose.

The broadcaster has also confirmed that Montenegro’s poor Eurovision results in recent years were also behind its decision to withdraw. In a statement, an RTCG spokesperson said, “Eurovision costs around €130,000 each year. Our music representatives have achieved modest results for the most part. The finals were hard to come by.”

But what is RTCG instead doing with their Eurovision 2020 budget? New cars!

The broadcaster’s spokesperson also explained, “This year we decided to invest that money in the RTCG fleet renewal. The plan is to buy five new cars and this significantly improves the safety of our crews, which travel over 1,000 kilometres on a daily basis.”

For a broadcaster from one of the smallest countries in Europe, this does make sense. The broadcaster’s overall budget is limited and sometimes road safety is going to win out over Eurovision participation.

It also suggests that Montenegro’s departure from Eurovision won’t be permanent. Once the new fleet has been purchased, Montenegro may have the budget to return to Eurovision in 2021.

 

Montenegro at Eurovision

This won’t be the first occasion Montenegro has taken time off from the song contest. After debuting as an independent nation in 2007 and competing three times, Montenegro didn’t participate in 2010 and 2011, also for financial reasons.

Montenegro’s best years at Eurovision were 2014 and 2015, where Sergej Ćetković and Knez each made it to the grand final with emotional ballads in the Montenegrin language. Knez’s song “Adio” finished in 13th place in the grand final, giving Montenegro its best-ever result.

What do you think? Should the broadcaster be buying new cars? Or should they sacrifice road safety in favour of doing Eurovision? Tell us your thoughts below!

Read more Montenegro Eurovision news here

39 Comments
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Žutokljunac
Žutokljunac
4 years ago

Balkan countries are crazy 🙂
In positive way.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
4 years ago

HEY! What happened to Knez’ daughter? I thought at one point she was a prospect for Eurovision!

Dzordz
Dzordz
4 years ago
Reply to  CookyMonzta

She is in a girl band with Sanja Vucic called Hurricane

Eurovisionfan12
Eurovisionfan12
4 years ago
Reply to  Dzordz

Hurricane actually said that they’d love to try representing Serbia in ESC recently so she might still have a chance

poe-tay-toe-chips
poe-tay-toe-chips
4 years ago

You know what? Good on them! I have respect for the fact that they care about people’s safety first.

MyName
MyName
4 years ago

The Real Thing was great. Otherwise, as you indicate, they are hopefully back next year

Alybloggs
Alybloggs
4 years ago

Why not? It’s a reasonable priority if that’s for the good of them.

Africavision
Africavision
4 years ago
Reply to  Alybloggs

Yup! Plus, if one of Montenegro’s neighboring countries (i.e., Albania, Croatia, or Serbia) win Eurovision 2020, the Montenegrin delegation can just use the new cars to drive to the contest in 2021. Transport sorted, yas!

Tom
Tom
4 years ago
Reply to  Africavision

Slovenia or Macedonia North -keep it reallll

Apparently without my knowledge
Apparently without my knowledge
4 years ago
Reply to  Africavision

Yugoslavia was a large country. No way I would want to drive from Podgorica to Zagreb. Take a plane instead, because I can’t sail neither. Sorry Greta!

Apparently without my knowledge
Apparently without my knowledge
4 years ago
Reply to  Alybloggs

The Balkan people drive really recklessly. A safe car means saving lives. I almost shat my pants as a passenger in Bosnia. 2 months later I got noticed that one of our partners died in a car crash in Bosnia.

Africavision
Africavision
4 years ago

Well, at least they have the decency to be honest about why they are out this year… Unlike some people *cough* Hungary *cough*

Tom
Tom
4 years ago
Reply to  Africavision

Hungary was also honest, they said they will be supporting hungarian artist and pop music in Hungary!Patriotism wins over ESC

Aris Odi
Aris Odi
4 years ago

Couldn’t they have done sponsoring like Bulgaria did then? Anyway, I’m sure they can come back stronger in 2021, although the last time they returned we got Euro Neuro…

Edouard
Edouard
4 years ago
Reply to  Aris Odi

Euro Neuro was brilliant, the best thing Montenegro ever gave us. A Rambo Amadeus return would be great fun imo

Tom
Tom
4 years ago
Reply to  Aris Odi

Euro neuro was my crush when i was 10 ….”Euro neuro – give me chance to refinance”

Denis
Denis
4 years ago

That is such a Balkan response. Almost as good as the one in 2013 when asked why B&H wouldn’t participate in ESC: “Because people can’t afford to buy bread”
Only in Balkans..

Michael
Michael
4 years ago

Maybe this corruption explains why Montenegro has sucked at Eurovision so much.

Dani
Dani
4 years ago

Monti… Monti… Monti… 🙂

I’m speechless. 🙁

PP77
PP77
4 years ago

If they send song Nezeljena (2018), Ja sam ti san (2019) they would had better result, maybe even 2 final more.

Paul
Paul
4 years ago

I’d rather have a new car than Montenegro performing to be fair

MyName
MyName
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul

It’s always a great pity when a country withdraw. It’s not as simple as you put it, but I understand you are putting it to the extreme in this case

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
4 years ago

I don’t understand why they need cars when they’ve already got human helicopters in employment.

Alybloggs
Alybloggs
4 years ago
Reply to  Skiwalko

Montenegro – the land of versatile vehicles

Jo.
Jo.
4 years ago

omg uber is shook

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
4 years ago

Well if they like cars more than Eurovision then I don’t know how much effort they would have put into ESC XD.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
4 years ago

i-
we-
they-

…no words lmfao

Gigii
Gigii
4 years ago

Same.

fasttortoise
fasttortoise
4 years ago

n

ennio
ennio
4 years ago

You made a mistake!
The real winner of national final 2019 is Andrea Demirovic.
Your choice was D Mol and now you need to pay their ridiculous performance.
You had worldwide Andrea’s performance and everyone know that. Eurovision needs Andrea and spectacle! Her crew is in touch with world standards and ideas.
JA SAM TI SAN was big oportunity to go in top 10 final songs on Esc 2019.
Stop with your boring music themes.

fasttortoise
fasttortoise
4 years ago

Reminds me of my favourite Montenegrin entry… Slavko CAR-lezic

Alybloggs
Alybloggs
4 years ago
Reply to  fasttortoise

Slavkopter

La La Love
La La Love
4 years ago
Reply to  Alybloggs

Slavkocopter is exactly what I call him when I can’t remember his name lol

MyName
MyName
4 years ago
Reply to  fasttortoise

My guilty pleasure song

Gigii
Gigii
4 years ago

As I told before.. We have the most idiotic broadcaster in Europe..:)))

KESC
KESC
4 years ago

Montenegro is better at trolling than at Eurovision! 😀

SMR
SMR
4 years ago
Reply to  KESC

Even better than San Marino? 😉

KESC
KESC
4 years ago
Reply to  SMR

Nah, they are the ultimate troll. 😉

Campbell Grace
Campbell Grace
4 years ago

I-… now what the hell?