BHRT, the Bosnian national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that Bosnia & Herzegovina will not participate at the forthcoming 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.

Hence much to the dismay of Eurovision fans we will not see the Balkan country return to the contest next year either. Bosnia & Herzegovina joins Slovakia, Andorra and Luxembourg all whom have confirmed their non- participation at the upcoming Eurovision edition in Israel.

The Bosnian broadcaster has been afflicted with financial hurdles and is currently under EBU sanctions due to its hefty debt, thus it’s ineligible to partake in the competition until it respects its payment.

ESCToday contacted BHRT in order to shed more light on the matter and received the following statement:

Bosnia Herzegovina will not compete at the forthcoming 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel next year due to the fact that BHRT is under EBU sanctions. BHRT has been facing a very hard financial situation for many years now, as BH MPs refuse to amend or to adopt the law on PBS financing, meaning that BHRT doesn’t have stable sources of financing.

Unfortunately, due to this BHRT is unable to fullfil its financial obligations towards the EBU, and not only to EBU, and we are still under sanctions of EBU. Hopefully situation will change in the near future.

Bosnia & Herzegovina in Eurovision

Bosnia & Herzegovina joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with Fazla, and is yet to win the contest. The Balkan country achieved its best result in 2006 with Hari Mata Hari‘s Lejla, placing 3rd in the Grand Final in Athens.

BHRT’s Eurovision adventure has been marred by numerous hurdles in the past years, having withdrawn from the competition in 2013 and not returning until 2016 due to financial problems. The country’s return was short-lived as it withdrew again in 2017 and has not returned since.

The last time the country graced the Eurovision stage was in 2016 when Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala flew the Bosnian flag in Stockholm.

Hari Mata Hari represented Bosnia & Herzegovina at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest in Athens with his entry Lejla.