POLITICS

This year the EBU experimented with a short-list approach to selecting the entrants: Judges, in camera, listened to studio recordings of each prospective entrant (with the exception of hosts Norway who were given a by), reducing the field of competitors from 29 to 22 (plus Norway). Although the order and scoring of this qualification round was supposed to be kept secret, they were ultimately leaked (albeit with two points unaccounted for). Sweden won the vote, with Ireland second, the UK third, Malta fourth, Estonia fifth, Austria sixth, Turkey seventh, Switzerland eighth, the Netherlands ninth and Iceland tenth. There was a tie between Finland and Hungary for the last qualifying position, with Finland winning the tie-break of highest contributing score. Germany, Denmark, Macedonia, Russia, Israel and Romania failed to make the short-list; a matter that particularly aggrieved Germany, a major financial contributor to the EBU and a competitor in every single Eurovision Song Contest up to this point. The secret nature in which the entrants were eliminated proved especially unpopular. Each performance on the night was introduced by a piece of VT from a political figure from that nation, wishing the entrant good luck. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, soon to become Serbia & Montenegro, intended to enter but were prevented from doing so as a consequence of political sanctions against them.