North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria will not participate in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest due to the financial crisis and concern over the rising cost of electricity, according to an announcement from both countries over the weekend.
The event will be hosted by Ukraine but held in Liverpool, UK, due to the ongoing Russian invasion. Montenegro’s public broadcaster said they would not participate after reviewing their current resources.
“After reviewing the available resources, the costs of the entire project and the obligations that the Public Service expects in the next period, the decision has been made that Montenegro will not participate in Eurovision next year,” the public broadcaster said in a statement.
They added that the decision was taken because resources must go towards national projects and initiatives, including reforms.
It was the same story in Skopje, where the national broadcaster said they would not participate as it was in the public’s best interests.
“The decision is in the best interest of the public, given the increased costs due to the energy crisis, which take up a large part of the budget for public services,” they noted in a statement.
This is the first time North Macedonia will not participate in the contest since 1991.
Bulgaria also said it would not take part due to the registration fee and cost of participation. An announcement is due this week.
Western Balkan countries, among some of the poorest in Europe, are under increasing pressure as inflation rises, energy becomes more expensive, and the cost of living, including food and necessities like fuel, becomes more unaffordable. Governments are similarly under pressure to subsidise societies’ most vulnerable and provide funding to offset energy and food bills.
North Macedonia, along with Albania and Serbia, has asked the European Union to intervene and provide financial support for their citizens, but so far, no initiative has been announced.
Neighbouring Albania and Serbia have not made any announcements regarding their participation and all other EU countries, for the moment at least, appear to be moving forward with their Eurovision plans.
