Nearly a month on since Eurovision 2023, more countries cotninue to reveal their plans for 2024. However, some coutries have revealed that they will not be participating, with Slovakia being the latest country to reveal they will not be participating.
Economic reasons could explain Slovakis’s non-participation
RTVS has openly mentioned that the main reason of their continued non-participation is financial, and that the broadcaster does not have the resource for it.
“Eurovision is a singing competition of public broadcasters. In the past, RTVS was the official broadcaster of the event and at the same time the organizer of the national competition round. RTVS carefully approaches the creation of the broadcasting structure of its television and radio circuits and in the past period decided not to include this international competition in its broadcasting based on the evaluation of several input factors, primarily the funds spent and viewership,” wrote Filip Púchovský from the media’s PR department.
“The participation of Slovak artists is also associated with high financial costs, for which RTVS does not have the resources,
Slovakia’s non-participation in 2024 would mark this the twelfth occassion since their last participation. The country last participated in 2012 where the competition was being held in Baku.
Slovakia’s Eurovision Journey
Slovakia last participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Their best result came in 1996 with Marcel Palonder’s “Kym nas mas”.
After taking an extended break from the contest in the 2000s, Slovakia returned in 2009 to less success, failing to qualify for the final for four consecutive years before withdrawing again. Their final entry in 2012 was Max Jason Mai’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes”, which finished last in its semi-final. One of their best-remembered entries from this era is Kristina Pelakova’s “Horehronie”, which finished 16th in its semi-final in 2010 and is a regular fixture on the year-end ESC 250 chart.
Are you disappointed that Slovakia will not be participating at Eurovision 2024? What is your favourite entry from Slovakia? 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 start our preparations for Eurovision in Sweden next year!
News Source: Eurofestivales/aktuality.sk
Photo Credit: EBU
That Eurovision Site 
Rory Gannon
[…] figures, poor performance, and financial constraints as reasons for not returning to the contest; they have already confirmed that they will not participate in 2024. However, the Slovakian government has adopted a new method of subsidizing its national […]
[…] the broadcaster, Ľuboš Machaj was asked about Eurovision, and if they will be participation, but reiterated our previous report, that the country will not be participating, citing finances, and that if there are no issues in […]
[…] but following budget issues and poor results RTVS withdrew from the contest. The announcement that they wouldn’t compete in 2024 however left the door open for a return in 2025 or beyond. Back then, the new Director General of […]