Now Eurovision 2025 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the shitshow events of Basel, it’s now time to discuss What Went Wrong. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2025 final saw some very dramatic results, but 11 acts did not get a chance to see that.
In our sixth part Euan, Rory, and Daniel discuss what went wrong with Serbia.
Who is PRINC?
Princ (also known as Princ od Vranje) is the moniker of Stefan Zdrakoviฤ, a 31 year old singer originally from Vranje in Southern Serbia.
Having been a part of bands and also participating in festivals, Princ released his debut single โSamo mi je lepoโ in 2022. The following year, he participated in Pesma Za Evroviziju 2023, finishing second behind Luke Black with the song โCvet sa lstokaโ.
What are the issues with the selection?
Euan – Look Pesma was grim this year, and there were a myriad of issues with the broadcaster that bled into the NF, so that does need to be taken into consideration when discussing the show. However, the show has been progressively declining year-on-year, and there are still systemic issues with the voting system that are not going away.
Rory – Pesma za Evroviziju was never my favourite selection out of the ones we had this year. That being said, I would have never predicted Princ doing well, let alone winning and actually going to Basel. I think what ultimately let this down was that the song was just not strong enough. The structure of the song was messy and – while the chorus had some memorability – even now, I couldn’t sing any other part of the track to you. Serbia needs to go back to the drawing board and give us something challenging like how they had for the past three years before.
Daniel – I just really hope the quality of Pesma za Evroviziju going down *significantly* this year was a reaction to the behaviour of the broadcaster’s reporting outside of the contest and not a sign of a new trend. With the pedigree Serbia and their predecessors have had, PzE should, as it has been in a lot of the years prior to this one, be a top tier national final.
Was the song and act good enough to be in Eurovision?
Euan –
Rory – Princ is a very competent artist, and it was obvious he had Eurovision in his sights, so I would say he is a good candidate for the Contest. On the other hand, “Mila” really did bring the vibes down in the course of the running order on semi-final 2. The song was slow to begin and then cranked the energy up to a meagre 4 in the last 30 seconds. I understand it’s a Balkan ballad and we need to be very grateful we even have a song like that in a line-up, but it was so dull…
Daniel – Eurovision 2003 maybe. The song feels so dated, and lacks the timeless touch that so many other Balkan ballads from that era have. For a 2020s Eurovision though? It just doesn’t cut it.
Did the staging compliment the song and stand out?
Euan – This was the perfect kind of song where they could have just stuck him on the stage with some moody lighting and done nothing for three minutes, and it would have been completely fine. No aspect of this worked in any way.
Rory – Gonna have to agree with Daniel on this one, the staging was very weird. Did not compliment the song in any way, shape or form. Princ had said the staging was based on mythology and that would heighten the message of the song. I really struggle – even today – to work out where the song’s message is supposed to be found in that staging.
Daniel – They dragged the man across the stage like a brush. Of course it didn’t compliment the song.
Could this song have qualified if changes were made?
Euan – I really think if there were some elevation in the staging they really could have scrapped this into the 10th slot, but *just* getting there.
Rory – With four countries having roughly the same amount of points – including Serbia, there could have been a path for “Mila” to make it through. I think the fact it was tied with several other countries shows there was an appetite for that style of song to get through. But, would it be enough if changes were made? I feel you would have to change almost everything to give it a worthy shot, so likely not.
Daniel – This was one of just a few songs this year I considered dead on arrival. It just wasn’t good enough to get people on their phones voting.
What are our outlooks for future contests?
Euan – In the immediate future I think that there’s no real hope for Serbia, with the great artists and writers not wanting to get involved. If that situation were to resolve itself then this year could easily be passed off as an anomaly and we could be in Belgrade soon enough. Though my hopes are not high.
Rory – I think it’s obvious that Serbia has the capacity to do well in the Contest – and it’s clear that fans want Serbia to do well. This year is a strange anomaly for PzE, which usually tends to bring in major bangers and becomes a highly-anticipated national final. However, RTS should not rest on their laurels: continue to tap into the major music scene in the country – and make sure that artists are respected for their views outside the Contest.
Daniel – Serbia can definitely win Eurovision, the talent pool they have is amongst the continent’s best. I just can’t help but feel their selection is caught up in a controversy far larger than any one song contest that they need to put right in order to achieve that, because I think a lot of fantastic artists won’t want to associate with them until they do.
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 ล erifoviฤ with โMolitva”, which managed to win the competition. Since their debut, Serbia has participated 16 times (13 of which, where they qualified for the Grand Final).
Princ represented Serbia at Eurovision 2025 in Basel with his song โMilaโ. At this yearโs competition, Serbia failed to qualify for the Grand Final, finishing in fourteenth place with 28 points in the semi-final.
What do think about our thoughts? Do you think Serbia could have qualified? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow โThat Eurovision Siteโ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2026!
Source: That Eurovision Site
Image Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU