RTVS, the Slovakian national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that Slovakia will not participate at the forthcoming 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.

Thus Slovakia joins Andorra and Luxembourg in the list of countries who have confirmed that they will not return to the competition next year.

The Slovakian broadcaster told ESCToday that a Eurovision participation is beyond its financial possibilities. The country withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and has not returned since.

Slovakia in Eurovision

Slovakia first attempted to partake in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 when it competed in the special preliminary semifinal in Slovenia, but failed to qualify. The following year the landlocked central European nation debuted in Dublin with Martin Durinda and Tublatanka.

The last time we saw Slovakia on the Eurovision stage was back in 2012 when Max Jason Mai defended the Slovak colours in Baku with his entry Don’t close your eyes. Slovakia has participated 8 times in the competion and has been quite unfortunate when it comes to results, achieving its best result in 1996 when Marcel Palonder placed 18th in Oslo.