Several months on from the Slovenian threat to withdraw from Eurovision, it appears that tensions between RTV SLO and the EBU have yet to die down.
A likely withdrawal?
Slovenian fansite Eurovizija.com is reporting that during a meeting of the governing council of the Slovene public broadcaster RTV SLO has approved a new music contest that would replace EMA Freš. The creation of the new show comes from uncertainty on whether the country will be present in Vienna. Following the end of the Basel contest, the Slovenian broadcaster had been one of the loudest to voice its frustration with the incidents that had occurred over the prior two year; seeking answers, and changes to how the contest is run. Central to this is the exclusion of Israel. While being interviewed Ksenija Horvat, the director of RTV SLO, has voiced that the questions put to the EBU have continued to go unanswered, and as a result it will be unlikely that they will be present at next year’s contest in Austria. Stating:
If we cannot agree on some suitable cooperation system, then we will not be there
Slovenia’s Eurovision Journey
In 1993, Slovenia made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest with 1X Band and the song “Tih deževen dan”, which placed 22nd. Since their debut, they have participated 28 times – of which, 16 were where they qualified for the Grand Final.
Slovenia’s recent Eurovision participation saw them being represented by Klemen, who sang “How Much Time Do We Have Left”. Performing at the first semi-final, Klemen failed to qualify, placing thirteenth with 23 points from the televote.
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Source: Eurovizija.com
Photo Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
Tetiana Viznytsia 
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