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 Pesma Za Evroviziju.
In part twelve of this series Euan, Kittens and Daniel discuss what changes they’d make to Serbia’s national final.
What is Pesma Za Evroviziju?
Pesma Za Evroviziju has been the selection show for Serbia’s Eurovision entry since 2022, with Konstrakta winning the inaugural edition. It replaced the iconic Beovizija music festival after RTS lost the rights to use their brand. The show takes place over one week, and consists of two semi-finals each containing a non fixed amount around 15 artists, of which 8 (or 9 in 2022) qualify to the final. Points are awarded via a 50/50 televote-jury split where points are converted to a 12-1 scale. At least 51% of the lyrics of all submitted songs must be in one of Serbia’s official languages.
Do we like what the NF does so far, and do we think there’s a chance of it producing a winner?
Daniel
It can absolutely produce a winner. Pesma in its current state is still in it’s infancy but has produced three very solid editions with a deep and varied pool of good quality songs every time, meaning there’s something for everyone to like. This year especially I think the quality was amongst the best of any national final this year. It’s a matter of when, not if, Pesma Za Evroviziju produces a winner in my eyes.
Kittens
While I think the song selection was weaker this year than in previous years, I do think there was so much good in this selection. You’ve got a really slick, well put together show, with so much good stuff going on during the show, that it’s hard to fault the selection as a whole. I do agree with Daniel that it won’t be long before we see Serbia fulfill their ‘Serve-ia’ title and reach a winning position. Also a hat tip to the graphic designers and stage designers, because heck yeah.
Euan
Serbia has had decades of experience of producing GOATed, mothertastic, top tier national finals and Pesma is no exception. I feel that while they’ve picked some of the worst choices three years in a row that shouldn’t change the fact that Serbia is definitely onto a format that could produce them a winner in the near future.
What changes would we make to the National Final?
Daniel
You know I’m dedicated to the cause when I’m advocating for something that would’ve meant sad girl of the year Teya Dora wouldn’t have got to go to Eurovision, but overhaul the voting system. the 12-1 points thing is so incredibly silly, and doesn’t really work at a national selection level. Don’t flatten the jury points, introduce a proportional televote at whatever weighting you like and boom, you’ve made one of the best national final shows even better.
Kittens
If any changes are to be made, I’d want them to be the lightest of touches. A slightly more refined set of songs maybe, a small tweak here and there to the voting, but generally I’d advocate not messing with it.
Euan
CHANGE THE DAMN VOTING SYSTEM. It’s awful, and I hate it. Non-proportional televotes are offensive and have no right being involved in Eurovision. For the love of Turbofolk stop doing the Eurovision style 1-12 system. I doesn’t work in national finals. The diversity and quality of what RTS is putting into the show is brilliant and there shouldn’t be any changes to what they’re doing in that regard. I do think that the final needs to have less songs in. There are loads of songs there with no chance of winning, and I think that focusing on those songs in a more streamlined final would make for a much more entertaining final.
Do we think any reforms are likely to happen to this NF?
Daniel
No. PzE is still very new, and to be brutally honest not enough is going wrong for a big change to be warranted. I think it speaks volumes that I’ve left my answer to the changes I’d make relatively short, because there really doesn’t need to be many.
Kittens
I honestly hope they’re not tempted to do so. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just keep bringing what you’re bringing, even if it’s artsy and eclectic, because you’re doing great sweetie.
Euan
No. I feel like RTS has a vision for the show, and it’s worked well. While there are changes that I’d make I don’t feel like Serbia needs to do anything different beyond learning how to pick a good winner for once.
Serbia’s Eurovision Journey
In 2007, Serbia made its debut as an independent country, having previously participated as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro. There, they were represented by Marija Šerifović with “Molitva”, which managed to win the competition. Since their debut, Serbia has participated 16 times (13 of which, where they qualified for the Grand Final).
Teya Dora represented Serbia at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö with her song “Ramonda”. At this year’s competition, Serbia managed to qualify for the Grand Final, where they placed 17th. At the close of voting, she received 54 points – 22 coming from the jury and 32 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: RTS
Tim J