The national Romanian broadcaster, TVR, is in full swing for their upcoming selection process Selecţia Naţională, which will determine their hopeful in the Lisbon-hosted Eurovision Song Contest. As already confirmed, the show is going to be held in 6 different cities around Romania.

Eurovision uneşte România!

Selecţia Naţională sees major changes for 2018, as for the first time it will consist of 5 semi-finals (instead of one semi-final and the audition stage in 2017) and the Grand Final. The show will be held under the slogan Eurovision uneşte România! (Eurovision unites Romania!).

Prior to the 6 shows which will air live on TV, there will also be some online pre-selection stages, giving the viewers the opportunity to have their say on which of the submitted entries ought to take the stage in the live shows.

According to a press release from the broadcaster, TVR‘s Steering Committee has now approved the timetable, the working draft and the editorial team that will fulfill the pre-selection and the national selection shows. Moreover, the budget of the national shows has been approved by TVR’s Board of Directors (CA).

The show’s jury will be meeting for the first time in December, before the live shows which are going to take place between January and February.

The Interim General Manager Doina Gradea made the following statements:

We want to bring Eurovision shows closer to viewers from all corners of the country, in a special year for Romanians everywhere. We also propose that the event be one of a series of ample actions that public television will produce and disseminate in 2018.

Romania at Eurovision 2017

The Balkan country returned in the contest in 2017, after a one-year disqualification from the EBU, due to consecutive non-payment of debts. After the completion of the national selection Selecţia Naţională 2017, Ilinca ft. Alex Florea were crowned the winners of the show, with their song Yodel it!

With her unique talent in yodelling, Ilinca made such a remarkable performance and impression on the stage of Kyiv, qualifying to the Grand Final via the 2nd semi-final evening. On the final scoreboard, the duet managed to receive a respectable 7th place with 282 points.

Romania has been one the four countries that have never been eliminated in the semi-finals since their introduction in 2004, the other being Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Their best result to date has been two 3rd places, which have been achieved in two occassions; first in 2005 and then 5 years later, in 2010.

Can they make it to the Top 10 or for their first victory in 2018? Who may be the winner of the show?