The national broadcaster for Bosnia & Herzegovina, BHRT, has confirmed it will not be broadcasting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, simultaneously confirming its non-participation.
Broadcaster remains under financial strain
Speaking to ESCToday, BHRT confirmed that the country would not be returning to the Contest in 2023. It confirmed that financial difficulties were the reason for the decision. Despite being a member of the EBU, BHRT’s access to Eurovision is currently suspended due to outstanding debts. This has been the main reason why BHRT has not returned to the Contest since their last participation in 2016.
As a result, Bosnia & Herzegovina now joins Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria in confirming their non-participation in the upcoming Contest in Liverpool. Each country has cited the increased financial costs and lack of sponsorship in the respective nation to fund an entry. A full list of confirmed participating countries will be revealed by the EBU in due course.
The story of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Eurovision
Bosnia and Herzegovina were a mini-powerhouse in the Eurovision Song Contest in the time that they took part. Bosnia and Herzegovina debuted in Eurovision in 1993 with Fazla, singing the song ‘Sva bol svijeta’. The song placed 16th, scoring 27 points. Bosnia qualified for the final every single time bar once; their best result coming in 2006 with ‘Leija’ sung by Hari Mata Hari, which came third scoring 229 points in the Grand Final.
Bosnia and Herzegovina last participated in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2016 with Dalal and Deen featuring Ana Rucner and Jala. Singing the song ‘Ljubav Je’, unfortunately they failed to qualify – placing 11th in the Semi Final with 104 points. This marked the first time that Bosnia & Herzegovina was not in a final in its participation.
What do you make of the news from BHRT? Will we ever see Bosnia & Herzegovina ever return to the Contest? Who would you like to see take part for them? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we gear up for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: BHRT / ESCToday
Photo Credit: TT News Agency / Maja Suslin
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