“Despite yet another last place at the greatest music show in the world, ARD holds fast to Germany’s participation at Eurovision”, reported Der Spiegel on May 15.
A representative from Norddeutschen Rundfunks told Der Spiegel that “Germany has such a diverse, interesting, and innovative music market that there is no reason not to return.” She confirmed that next year’s finale would also be broadcast on Das Erste.
Germany’s future at Eurovision
NDR said of Lord of the Lost’s placement, “to be honest, we had not expected that the song wouldn’t satisfy the juries or the public. Therefore, we will discuss over the next few weeks how to move forward.”
However, some Germans don’t think the country should move forward. Guildo Horn, who represented Germany in 1998, recommended that Germany “take a pause and invest their money elsewhere.” After Germany’s seventh bottom two placement since 2015, other entertainers are inclined to agree. Radio host Thomas Gottschalk wrote that “Germany, for the love of god, needs to evaluate the worth of making an ass of ourselves in front of the rest of Europe”.
It has not yet been decided where next year’s semifinals will be broadcast in Germany. A replacement for longtime commentator Peter Urban will be forthcoming.
Germany’s Eurovision journey
Germany has been part of Eurovision since the beginning, debuting in 1956. Their debut entries were Walter Andreas Schwarz’s “Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück” and Freddy Quinn’s “So geht das jede Nacht”. Germany has appeared at every Eurovision except for 1996, which means they have been at more Contests than any other country. They have a long history of success in Eurovision, finishing in the top 3 an impressive 13 times. Germany has won the contest twice: Nicole won in 1982 with her song “Ein bißchen Frieden”, taking home 161 points. Their second win came in 2010, when Lena scored 246 points with her song “Satellite”.
Germany’s most recent Eurovision entry was Lord of the Lost with “Blood and Glitter”. As Germany is part of the Big 5, they automatically qualified for the Grand Final. In the Final, the song received 15 points and finished last – 26th – for the second year in a row.
Should Germany continue on, or withdraw from the contest and reassess? Who should they send to the contest next year?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 prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Der Spiegel
Photo Credit: Peter Kneffel
