Despite Montenegro confirming will not be participating in the upcoming Eurovision, public broadcaster RTCG is eyeing up a potential return to the Contest in 2025.
New national final proposed for Montenegro?
In documents produced by RTCG outlining its response to public discussions for its schedule for the coming year, it was revealed that funds would be allocated to create a new national final. The exact wording from the document is as follows:
Televizija Crne Gore planira organizovanje muzičkog festivala koji bi promovisao nove pjesme domaćih izvođača i autora, a na kome će se (u zavisnosti od sredstava za 2025. godonu) birati i predstavnik za Pjesmu Evrovizije za 2025. godine.
RTCG plans to organise a music festival that would promote new songs by local artists and authors, and at which (depending on the funds allocated in 2025) a representative for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be chosen.
RTCG report
Should this go ahead, it would guarantee a Montenegrin presence at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025. The last time that Montenegro took part in the Contest was 2022, before having to withdraw due in 2023 to the cost of living crisis. As a result of rising participation costs, RTCG was unable to justify participation in 2024. Thus, Montenegro returning in 2025 would be their first Contest in three years.
As well as this, Montenegro is keen to continue to keep up the tradition of Eurovision, as RTCG hopes to air both the adult and Junior editions of the show. Later on in the document, the Montenegrin broadcaster says that ultimately the budget will decide:
Prijenos Eurosonga za odrasle i dječijeg Eurosonga je u PP planu, samo nije posebno
naznačen, već potpada pod dio Revijalni program u Zabavnoj redakciji.The broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is in the PP plans, but it is not specifically indicated and falls under the Revival program in the Entertainment section.
RTCG report
Montenegro has not taken part in Junior Eurovision since 2015. The nation participated in both 2014 and 2015, with their last song “Oluja” finishing in 13th place.
Montenegro’s Eurovision journey
Before Montenegro announced its return to the Eurovision Song Contest for 2022, they had a scattered appearance at the competition.
There has been a Montenegrin presence at the Eurovision Song Contest as far back as 1983, when the nation was a part of Yugoslavia. Montenegrin entries went on to represent Yugoslavia in 1983 and 1984, placing 4th and 18th respectively. Similarly, the nation also sent an entry as part of Serbia and Montenegro in 2005, placing 7th with No Name’s “Zauvijek moja”.
As an independent nation, Montenegro debuted in 2007 with Steven Faddy’s “Ajde, kroci”. This began a string of non-qualifications, until their first appearance in a Grand Final in 2014. Montenegro’s best result came in 2015 with Knez’s “Adio”, scoring 44 points and placing 13th. Their most recent appearance in the Contest was in 2022, when Vladana finished in 17th place in the semi-final with 33 points with her song “Breathe”.
What do you make of Montenegro’s potential return to Eurovision? Would you like to see RTCG make another attempt at the Contest? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Threads, Tumblr and Bluesky as we look ahead to the next edition of the Contest!
News Source: RTCG
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Giwrgos Oiko 
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[…] that Montenegro may return to the contest in 2025 appear to have come to fruition. The submission period for Montesong 2024 closes on the 1st of […]