Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, it’s now time to discuss What Went Right. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 3 acts in particular had some historically good results.
We’ve spent a long time discussing what went wrong for most of the countries this year, so why not end this Eurovision year on a positive not and discuss what went right for 3 countries who has historically good successes this year: Romania, Denmark, and Bulgaria.
Who is Alexandra Căpitănescu?
Alexandra Căpitănescu is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter born in the Romanian city of Galaţi. She first rose to fame in 2023 when she competed in Vocea României, the Romanian verison of The Voice. She would go on to win the competition, and would release a string of songs since, with her first album being released in April 2024.
She represented Romania at Eurovision 2026 with her song “Choke Me”. The song was written by Alexandra herself, as well as Elvis Silitră, Ştefan Condrea and Călin-Alexandru Grăjdan.
Did you expect Romania to do as well as they did?
Molly: When Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria were announced to be returning to Eurovision, Romania was the country I was the least confident in. Man, was I wrong. The Glow-Up from 2023 to 2026 needs to be studied, as Alexandra Căpitănescu was not the artist I was expecting, but the one we needed. The vocals, the music video, and her commitment at the national final leading up to the breathtaking rehearsal images were perfection. It was one of the entries that you could understand the love and support for. While I wasn’t expecting the final result, as Eurovision and heavy rock are always 50/50, it was DESERVED. Second in the televote was shocking but made so much sense with the strong fandom the song had gathered. “Choke Me” will go down as one of (if not the) best Romanian entries, and I love that.
Tom: Like Molly, Romania was the country I was most nervous about in terms of returning countries and their ability ti deliver in a modern Eurovision context. And like Molly, I couldn’t have been more wrong! At the time of the Romanian nation final, Alexandra Căpitănescu wasn’t even on my radar as a potential ESC 2026 contest, and yet by the time of the vote reveal in the Grand Final I was firmly team “Choke Me”. I think the way the song elevated from national final to Eurovision stage was amazing, and shows that Romania can do well in the Contest when they give the artists what they need.
Mateo: Absolutely. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m actually a big fan of Romania at Eurovision. In addition to bringing “Zaleilah” to my life (one of my all-time favorite Eurovision entries), the country has given us iconic songs that true fans of the contest are unlikely to forget, especially “Llámame”from 2022. It’s true that the country has struggled a bit since 2017, but this year they understood the assignment once again. “Choke Me” was love at first listen for me. The dark vibe of the song, the inclusion of opera in the chorus, and the captivating staging all contributed to a more than well-deserved third place.
What worked well from their selections?
Molly: Audition-style National Finals aren’t my favourite, but surprisingly, this one seemed to work well. This may be down to the swap from 100% public to 100% jury vote, which Alexandra swept, but I also believe that the hiatus allowed new artists to rise, and once the floodgates of a Eurovision return were opened, the new talent wanted to mark the new era for Romania in Eurovision. It will be interesting to see if this selection method continues to work for 2027.
Tom: I was a huge, huge fan of WRS both in Eurovision 2022, and post-Contest. So when his name appeared, I was overjoyed. And at the time, I was sure he would take it. But I am very glad Alexandra Căpitănescu did. The selection wasn’t the most polished, which I think actually worked in Alexndra’s favour, because it meant she could show of the raw, rock vocal talent and not be constrained by a lack of finish and shine. I mean she shone in the national final anyways, but it really paved the way for an exciting rock track to take the win.
Mateo: Like Molly, I’m not a massive fan of audition-style national finals. Moldova is probably the best example of how awful these can be. However, I think that Selecția Națională was quite successful this year. I would have liked that the public had been able to vote in the final, but I did appreciate the two televote wildcards. The final, as Tom pointed out, was far from perfect from a technical point of view, but if you want perfection, go watch Melodifestivalen. I enjoyed Selecția Națională precisely because it had no pretention to be something it wasn’t.
What made this entry different from the previous attempts?
Molly: “Choke Me” was cinematic perfection. Of prior Romanian entries, you can’t deny that the visuals of this performance dominate them. I can remember every bit of the performance, from the mysterious cloaked figure to Alexandra being pulled by the guitar cables. It lives in my mind rent-free, and I will let it stay. Not only does Alexandra look stunning, but her charisma and vocals are at their peak. She was born for the stage, and this performance showed her ability to captivate. “Choke Me” felt so modern but also standalone in the Eurovision 2026 lineup. This entry felt like the “Final Boss” of Romania in Eurovision and I hope it continues.
Tom: Romania put effort into the staging and overall package in a way that I don’t think they have in the Contest for years. I’m not sure what has changed at delegation level, but comparing this with 2023 just shows what difference the behind-the-scenes teams actually make to a Eurovision show, at a country level. I think a female fronted rock group is always going to excite a certain group of Eurovision fans, and this was no exception. Alexandra is a great talent, and the finished package didn’t rest on a perfectly performed vocal, but a huge, impressive stage show that excited people.
Mateo: I disagree that the staging and the visuals were the main reasons why Romania did that well this year. While they certainly helped, Romania got lucky this year. In my opinion, it benefitted from being the only song dark rock song. If “Choke Me” had participated in 2021, it wouldn’t have stood a chance against Måneskin’s “Zitti E Buoni”. Another element that helped Romania this year was Alexandra’s powerful vocals and impressive stage presence. The jury may not have appreciated the performance as a whole, but in an ideal world they should have rewarded Alexandra for her vocal ability.
Do you think these results can be replicated?
Molly: I truly do. If Romania can continue this level of elevation and performance while keeping the interest of new artists, I can see a win coming up (yes, I said that). The Televote was in full force, and if Romania keeps continuing and making songs that can generate their own fandom and audience, it can stay this high. It will all depend on what songs enter for the 2027 selection, but Alexandra Căpitănescu has proved that Romania can do it. I wouldn’t be surprised if more songs like “Choke Me” appear in the selection and more rock songs are present, as it can work well with the modern Eurovision audience.
Tom: Potentially yes but I’m more cautious than Molly on this front. I still don’t think I’ve fully forgiven Romania at Eurovison for how Theodor was treated, and that is always going to smart for me. But I think this is obviously a brilliant way to reenter the Contest. It shows that Romania can deliver, and not just leave their artists to fend for themselves.
Mateo: Of course! This is the third time Romania comes third at Eurovision (2005, 2010 and 2026), so I have no doubt that Romania will continue to do well in the future. Now that Bulgaria has broken the streak of victories by Western European countries, a win may even be possible, as Molly suggested. I think the key here is how seriously the Romanian broadcaster and delegation take Eurovision in the next few years. Bulgaria is a clear example of how a country with relatively few resources can do well if they want to.
What can other countries learn from this result?
Molly: The 2 things to learn from this entry are Genre Risk and Staging. Other countries that had been scared of diverging from either Pop or a Ballad may realise that taking a genre risk can work and they shouldn’t be afraid to challenge the norm. Take the risk; it may pay off. Staging also can be learned. Had the staging of this song just been that of the National Final, it wouldn’t have done as well. No matter what country you are, if you can deliver staging, the results will reflect this effort and leave an impact on all watchers.
Tom: Risk more often equals reward, than failure. And sometimes a hiatus from the Contest is a good thing, if it means you can regroup and reset as a delegation.
Mateo: As I was saying earlier, the key to doing well at Eurovision is caring about Eurovision. This doesn’t necessarily mean spending huge amounts of money. It just means that countries need to care about getting a good result. As a Spaniard, I know perfectly well what happens when your country’s broadcaster stops paying attention to Eurovision and sends a song just because they have to. Romania’s staging this year indicates that its delegation made a significantly bigger effort than in previous years.
Watch the accompanying discussion video here:
Romania’s Eurovision Journey
Romania joined the Eurovision family in the Eastern wave of enlargement, making their debut in 1994. Their entry – Dan Bittman’s “Dincolo de nori” – finished in 21st place with a total of 14 points. At the introduction of semi-finals, Romania found their stride and were present in every Eurovision final until 2018. Romania’s best result is third place, scored twice in 2005 and 2010 respectively.
In 2026, Romania returned to the competition, being represented by Alexandra Căpitănescu with her song “”Choke Me””. Performing at the second semi-final in Vienna, Romania managed to qualify for the final. At the close of voting in the final, Romania finished in third place, scoring 296 points, with 64 points coming from the jury and 232 from the televote. This equalled Romania’s best ever placement at the Contest.
What do think about our thoughts? Why do you think Romania did so well? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!
Source: That Eurovision Site
Image Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU