Following Serbia’s withdrawal from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, Serbia has once again ruled out taking part in the Contest. This is now the third consecutive contest that RTS has missed out on
Serbia focuses on finances
In an email sent to Serbia’s OGAE group, RTS confirmed it would not be taking part in Junior Eurovision 2025. It had been reported that Serbia had been eyeing a return to the competition, joining fellow ex-Yugoslav countries such as Croatia and Montenegro. However, Sandra Perović – RTS’ Head of Entertainment – said:
Regarding the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, unfortunately we will not be participating for financial reasons.
This is not the first time that Serbia has cited financial difficulties as a reason not to take part. Shortly after the 2022 Contest, RTS confirmed it would withdraw to focus its finances on the adult competition. Since then, RTS has consistently used this as a reason not to return.
Serbia’s Junior Eurovision journey
Before participating at Eurovision as an independent country, Serbia debuted in the 2006 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the group Neustrašivi učitelji stranih jezika. Their song “Učimo strane jezike” (Учимо стране језике) placed 5th. The Balkan nation competed until 2010 and returned to the contest in 2014, where they participated yearly until 2022. Serbia also boasts a Junior Eurovision record: Nevena Božović, who achieved Serbia’s best-ever Junior Eurovision result in 2007, was the first Junior Eurovision alumna to compete at the big contest. She has, in fact, done so twice–as part of Moje 3 in 2013 and as a solo artist in 2019.
Katarina Savić, with the song “Svet Bez Granica”, represented Serbia in 2022. Savić placed 13th overall in the competition and received 92 points from the jury and online voting.
Will you miss Serbia at JESC this year? Will this decision pay off come Eurovision 2026? 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 as we head towards Junior Eurovision 2025!
News Source: OGAE Serbia
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU
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