Following on from the news that BHRT will be forced to sell assets in order to pay off debt owed to the EBU, it has been announced that Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be returning to Eurovision in 2025. This news was confirmed by BHRT to fellow Eurovision outlet, ESC Today. Bosnia and Herzegovina last competed at Eurovision 8 years ago.
BHRT’s debt to the EBU
BHRT have faced issues with debts for some years, as they struggled to pay the EBU for its outstanding debt. This is the reason that Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been present at the Contest since 2016. However, BHRT had said it was considering a return to the Contest for next year. Although now the broadcaster, has confirmed they will not participate.
Until the debt is repaid, BHRT is ineligible to take part in the competition, as participation fees continue add to the total to be paid. Currently, the EBU is in the midst of filing a lawsuit against the broadcaster for unpaid debts of 16,360,851.18 BAM. This equates to around €8,367,764.60 or £7,076,973.87.
Initially, the EBU took BHRT to court in 2016 to ask for 12,198,170.70 BAM (€6,238,759.82 / £5,276,384.12) for membership costs. This also translated into other fees such as broadcasting rights to sport events and other shows such as Eurovision. However, since then, the total has increased to over 16 million BAM due to interest accrued.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Eurovision journey
Bosnia and Herzegovina were a mini-powerhouse in the Eurovision Song Contest in the time that they took part. The nation 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.
Would you like to see BHRT return to Eurovision in the future? Do you miss Bosnia and Herzegovina being in the Contest? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all your Eurovision 2025 news!
News Source: ESC Today
Photo Credit: Albin Olsson/EBU
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