Not invited: Preparations for the Greek Eurovision National Selection continue, promising notable guests, but it’s revealed that last year’s representative Marina Satti will be watching from home as her successor is chosen.
As Greece gears up for its first open Eurovision preliminary in 22 years, scheduled for January 30th, where the representative and song for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland will be selected, excitement reaches its peak. However, fans of last year’s Greek representative, Marina Satti, will face disappointment: Satti is expected to miss the broadcast. This comes as a surprise since the presence of the previous year’s representative during the crowning of the new one has become a tradition across Europe. So why will Satti be absent from the preliminary?
According to reports, it’s unclear whether Marina Satti was not invited to the event or if she declined to participate due to scheduling conflicts. Recall that Greek officials were not pleased with her “childish” behavior at last May’s press conference after the semifinals. Satti caused a stir when she appeared tired and bored while Israel’s representative, Eden Golan, was speaking. The Greek government criticized the event, stating: “Eurovision is not a political program, and the foreign policy of a specific country is not represented through a musical competition. The behavior was individual and does not relate to the political stances of the Greek government. When a representative presents their country in a musical competition at the expense of the Greek taxpayer, they must be accountable for their behavior and public representation. The purpose of Eurovision is to unify through music.”
The embarrassment for Satti did not end there: upon her return to Greece, she was announced as a candidate for the MAD Best Pop Artist Award, but not everyone was pleased with the choice. When announced as the winner, TV host Athinais Nega, known for her uncompromising support for Israel, did not hold back and declared:
“I am here to award the best pop artist. I could choke and not mention her name but I will not do that, as I appreciate her as a singer, even though I disagree with her on many things. Marina Satti, come to the stage.”
Satti’s audience seemingly disagreed with her opinions, as during a performance in September, eggs were thrown at her by the crowd. It appears that Satti will not be missed by many in the selection of Greece’s new representative.
Timeline for Greece’s Eurovision 2025 Selection
The Greek Eurovision selection will include 12 songs, chosen by a special committee from ERT, out of a total of 187 songs from various genres submitted to the selection process. The voting format in the selection will include a combination of Greek judges and international professional judges, aiming to create a balanced result and representation of experts from around the world. Each group of judges will determine 25% of the final result, while public voting will determine the remaining 50%.
- January 10th, 2025: 12 finalists revealed in a special TV broadcast
- Songs to be unveiled in special broadcasts during January.
- January 30th, 2025: Live national final broadcast, with Greece’s Eurovision 2025 representative chosen through a 50-50 jury (international and Greek) and public vote
This comprehensive approach by ERT demonstrates Greece’s commitment to selecting a strong entry for Eurovision 2025, engaging both the public and music industry professionals in the process.
Greece in Eurovision 2024
“Zari” is the title of the song performed by singer Marina Satti, who was selected through an internal selection process by the Greek national broadcaster. Greece qualified for the final after placing fifth in the second semi-final with 86 points, and in the grand final, they finished in 11th place with 126 points.
Source: Eurovisionfun.
Eurovision 2025: This will mark Greece’s 45th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
