It’s the Eurovision down season, and don’t you for a second think we’re going to stop speculating, arguing, and pushing our heated opinions. Our latest series will look at the national finals of Eurovision, and discussing how we would reform the national finals of Eurovision. Today we’re having a look at Una Voce Per San Marino.
In part six of this series Kittens, Angus, and Daniel discuss what changes they’d make to San Marino’s national final.
What is Una Voce Per San Marino?
UVPSM is known among Eurovision fans as perhaps the most chaotic national final in Eurovision–and for good reason. Micronation San Marino subsidizes its participation through the UVPSM application fees and accepted over 100 participants in 2023. Following a marathon of jury-only qualifying rounds, the top songs compete in a live show to represent San Marino at Eurovision. But here’s the catch–no one involved has to be Sammarinese. Una Voce draws participants from around Europe and around the world, giving everyone the opportunity to represent Europe’s favorite micronation.
Do we like what the NF does so far, and do we think there’s a chance of it producing a winner?
Daniel
Una Voce is notoriously terrible, but in their case I think there’s some charm to their awfulness that doesn’t exist in other national finals. I don’t think San Marino will ever win the contest, but I don’t think that’s Una Voce’s fault.
Kittens
While there is a certain car crash television element of UPVSM, there’s so much just, well, mess here. UPVSM struggles to find an identity year on year. I genuinely think there’s a chance it might produce a winner out of pure luck, rather than any concerted effort for change, but under normal circumstances I think it will struggle to pick a winner. It feels like it needs a nice sit down, a good cup of tea and an intervention.
Angus
Considering a lot of the constraints that San Marino RTV faces, it is a true miracle that they manage to hold something as big and at times even competent like Una Voce. Is it a perfect national final? Of course not. Will it produce a winner? It would take some astronomical luck and a truly baffling set of events, but nothing is more baffling than the results of every Eurovision ever so who knows! All I do know is that the current end result is a week of entertaining television unlike anything else.
What changes would we make to the National Final?
Daniel
I think online televoting, at least in the final, could be a good way both to fuel the coffers and get a more representative entry. Whilst elsewhere I’d rant about the general quality, in the case of San Marino I think that there is something uniquely charming about the sheer amount of usually utter dross.
Kittens
I agree that some form of public voting would be good in this final – and there’s no reason that can’t be international, à la ESCZ. But the selection itself has to change also. I’d love to see a tighter selection happen behind closed doors. There’s no need for the whole process to be shown, the public don’t need to see every tiny detail. Narrow it down to 20-30 songs before anyone goes on TV and do 2-3 televised semi-finals, and one final. And the final needs to be much shorter. Having that long a show for the final (particularly with no televote involved) makes no sense for the artists, the presenters, or SMRTV. Also if you’re going to mess about with an unpopular technology (AI) then at least have it produce something more interesting than what happened this year. If I was working at that company, I think I would have been mortified by the song that came out. I also think the selection as a whole needs work – a complete lack of any sort of identity through the randomness of the submissions can occasionally bring a diamond up, but there’s absolutely no consistency here and little thought to making a cohesive show.
Angus
I understand an argument for some form of public vote, but I would like the rules to be strict and transparent, which is not something that Una Voce is particularly known for at this moment in time. As to what Daniel said, all I would like to add is that the astounding array of arrangements also leads to some true gems (and some so-bad-they’re-good stinkers) between the dross, both of which tend to be unique in ways you would rarely if ever see in other NFs. So, besides a televote and in general improving the regulations, what could or should be done to UVPSM? No more AI or autoqualifying big artists, although it seems like the organizers have decided to already drop those this year to my pleasant surprise. The final show needs to be tightened up, but that is something that will also come with experience, this is still a very new thing for the broadcaster after all.
Do we think any reforms are likely to happen to this NF?
Daniel
Nothing major. As a whole, the format works for the broadcaster as a good way to increase their funds and honestly it would be silly of them to mess with that too much.
Kittens
If any NF needs reform, it’s UPVSM. If you really do not want to strip it all back and start again, just make everything tighter – fewer songs, quicker show, slicker voting. Your presenters are tired and are sat on the floor, your artists have gone home early, and the livebloggers at Eurovision sites are getting sent wellbeing checks (yes it was me that did it this year, I am speaking from experience). The whole thing needs an overhaul, but even small tweaks over time will make a difference.
Angus
Reforms have been happening every year, with the Big Artist category being dropped feeling like a particularly large change. It might take time for anything from our wishlists above to be implemented, let alone everything. But I do think that as long as San Marino RTV and Media Evolution work together on UVPSM, it will see tweaks every year in an attempt to improve it.
San Marino’s Eurovision Journey
As one of the smallest countries in Europe, San Marino made its debut in the competition in 2008 with Miodio and the song “Complice”. Since then they have participated in the competition 14 times, qualifying for the grand final in three. Their best result was in 2019, with Serhat and “Say Na Na Na”.
Spanish band Megara represented San Marino in 2024 with the song “11:11”. They failed to qualify from the second semifinal, placing fourteenth and receiving sixteen points from the televote.
What do you think about our reforms? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all the latest Eurovision news!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: SMRTV
Tim J