As Moldova returns to Eurovision 2026, Pasha Parfeni launches a harsh attack against the Moldovan national broadcaster TRM, declaring he will not return until the current management is replaced.
With Moldova’s return to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna after a one-year absence, Pasha Parfeni, one of the country’s most prominent artists who represented Moldova twice in 2012 and 2023, launched a strong attack against the Moldovan national broadcaster TRM. In an interview, he declared that he would not participate again in Eurovision unless the network’s current management is replaced.
“They killed Eurovision”
According to Parfeni, the public broadcaster is “unprofessional and even corrupted”, accusing it of ruining the contest’s reputation in the country.
“I’m highly critical and dissatisfied. I’ve seen many bad things – I don’t even want to talk about them. They killed Eurovision like this”.
Parfeni said. In the interview, he pointed out that the “Moldova 1” brand – the main TRM channel – has lost public and creative trust:
“This brand no longer resonates positively, neither among artists nor among cultural figures. The system needs deep change”.
He added that despite receiving invitations to take part in the upcoming competition, he refuses to participate unless significant reforms are implemented in TRM’s management.
Moving Toward International Projects
Parfeni revealed that he has received proposals for international collaborations, including offers to write lyrics for artists outside Moldova. He now prefers to focus on creative work beyond the country’s borders.
This is not the first time Parfeni’s name has been tied to the Eurovision contest. He previously represented Moldova twice – first at Eurovision 2012 with the song “Lăutar” (in English: “Fiddler”), which finished 11th in the final, and later at Eurovision 2023 with the dong “Soarele şi Luna” (in English: “The Sun and the Moon”) , finishing 18th. Over the years, he has become one of the artists most identified with Moldova’s presence in the competition. Yet now, it seems he prefers to step back, focus on creation, and channel his experience toward international performers.
Moldova at Eurovision: Distinct Identity and Style
Moldova has participated in Eurovision 19 times without achieving a victory, missing only one contest. In 2020, it planned to compete with Natalia Gordienko and her song “Prison”, but the contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gordienko returned the following year.
Moldova’s absence from the most recent contest marked the first time the country had ever skipped the event. Its debut came in 2005 with Zdob Si Zdub’s “Boonika bate doba” (in English: “Grandma beats the drum”), finishing in sixth place. Since then, Moldova’s results have fluctuated widely. Its best-ever result came in 2017 when Sunstroke Project placed third with “Hey Mamma”.
Moldova is known for showcasing songs that feature local musical flavors, proudly doing so in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2023, achieving a place in the final each time – many of its best results were tied to songs with ethnic influences.
Aside from missing the top prize, Moldova has experienced nearly every position on the scoreboard – from third to last place. In 19 appearances since 2005, Moldova has qualified for 13 finals, with one notable non-qualification streak between 2014 and 2016, reaching its lowest result in 2014 with a last-place finish. Conversely, the country placed in the top half of the scoreboard in 2005, 2007, 2011–2013, 2017–2018, and 2021–2022. Currently, Moldova’s Eurovision outlook remains pretty underwhelming since its last participation ended its recent qualification streak.
Moldova has never won Eurovision and has reached the Top 5 only once, in 2017. with four additional Top 10 finishes – 6th place in Eurovision 2005, 7th place in Eurovision 2022, and another twice finishing 10th, in Eurovision 2007 and Eurovision 2018.
Moldova in Eurovision 2024
Natalia Barbu represented Moldova in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2024 with the song “In the Middle”, after winning first place in the local national final. The song reached 13th place in the first semi-final, with only 20 points, and did not qualify for the grand final. This is Moldova’s lowest result in Eurovision since 2016, when Moldova reached 17th place in the semi-final.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Moldova’s 20th participation in Eurovision. Moldova joined the competition in 2005 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2017 when SunStroke Project finished in third place with the song “Hey Mamma”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
