# Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986

Switzerland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 with the song "Pas pour moi", composed by Atilla Şereftuğ, with lyrics by Nella Martinetti, and performed by Daniela Simmons. The Swiss participating broadcaster, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), selected its entry for the contest through a national final.

## Before Eurovision
### National final

The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) held a national final to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1986. The broadcaster had its divisions independently use their own selection methods, which would end with a final round featuring all of the songs selected by each regional division.
Swiss-French broadcaster Télévision suisse romande (TSR) and Swiss Italian broadcaster Televisione svizzera di lingua italiana (TSI) internally selected their entries, while Swiss German and Romansh broadcaster Schweizer Fernsehen der deutschen und rätoromanischen Schweiz (SF DRS) held a preliminary round to select its songs, with Schweizer Radio: Radio der deutschen und rätoromanischen Schweiz (SR DRS) holding a separate selection to enter a Romansh song to this preliminary round. Eligible songs were required to have been composed by songwriters from Switzerland or Liechtenstein, and the deadline for the song registration was on 15 October.

#### German-Romansh preliminary round
##### Festival dalla Musica Romontscha

SR DRS held a selection to enter a Romansh song in the German-Romansh preliminary round. The first edition of Festival dalla Musica Romontscha was not related to Eurovision, but the second edition, which was held from 12–17 August 1985, selected an entry for the preliminary round. Nineteen groups participated. The winner is presumed to be Linard Bardill [rm] and Shefali Banerjee.

##### Ein Lied für Norwegen - Ausscheidungen für den Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 1986

SF DRS held its preliminary round on 14 December 1985. 80 songs were submitted, with nine songs being selected, to which the Romansh song was added, forming a lineup of ten total songs. Three songs advanced to the Swiss final, including the Romansh entry, becoming the first Romansh song to compete in a Swiss national final. Known information is listed in the chart below.
Among the competing acts was "Mit Musik bin ich niemals allein" written by Hazy Osterwald and Günter Loose [de] and sung by Anetta Philip, which later went on to compete in the Swiss national final again in 1987.
Ein Lied für Norwegen - Ausscheidungen für den Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 1986 — 14 December 1985 :
| Artist(s) | Song | Songwriter(s) | Songwriter(s) | Result |
| Artist(s) | Song | Composer | Lyricist | Result |
| Anetta Philip | "Mit Musik bin ich niemals allein" | Hazy Osterwald | Günter Loose [de] | Eliminated |
| Beatrice Wälle | "Das war mein schönster Kindertraum" | Unknown | Unknown | Eliminated |
| Benedict Stecher | "Rumantsch" | Unknown | Unknown | Eliminated |
| Chris Lorenz | "Es kommen andere Tage" | Unknown | Unknown | Eliminated |
| Chris Lorenz | "Heute Nacht sind wir allein" | Unknown | Unknown | Eliminated |
| Lily Lilas | "Lily Lilas" | Véronique Müller | Dodo Hug [de]Véronique Müller | Advanced |
| Linard Bardill [rm] and Shefali Banerjee | "Tragnölin" | Linard Bardill [rm] | Linard Bardill [rm] | Advanced |
| Nöggi [de] | "Verschänk doch dini Liebi" | Steve Ray | Rosita Rengel | Advanced |
| Swiss Singers | "Ein Leben ohne dich" | Unknown | Unknown | Eliminated |
| Swiss Singers | "Ein paar Träume" | Ralph Ottinger | Ralph Ottinger | Eliminated |

#### Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 1986

SF DRS staged the national final on 25 January 1986 at 21:15 CET, at its studios in Zurich. It was hosted by singer Paola del Medico, who had represented Switzerland in 1969 and 1980, with the Gipsy Line Dancers making a guest appearance. Nine songs competed in the national final, with three songs in French and Italian, two in German, and one in Romansh. Among the participants was Véronique Müller— who was a member of Lily Lilas and represented Switzerland in 1972.
Participating entries :
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Songwriter(s) | Songwriter(s) | Language |
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Composer | Lyricist | Language |
| 1 | Scarlet | "Fou d'amour pour toujours" | Clarie-Lise Harris | Tom Dorche | French |
| 2 | Nöggi [de] | "Verschänk doch dini Liebi" | Steve Ray | Rosita Rengel | German |
| 3 | Simonetta | "Un amore come una fiaba" | Mario Robbiani | Mario Robbiani | Italian |
| 4 | Test | "Generation liberté" | Marc Olivier | Jean-Marie Rolle | French |
| 5 | Linard Bardill [rm] and Shefali Banerjee | "Tragnölin" | Linard Bardill [rm] | Linard Bardill [rm] | Romansh |
| 6 | Gruppo Pocafera | "Iside" | Andi Netzer | Andi Netzer | Italian |
| 7 | Lily Lilas | "Lily Lilas" | Véronique Müller | Dodo Hug [de]Véronique Müller | German, French |
| 8 | Paulo Monte | "Amore mio" | Nella Martinetti | Nella Martinetti | Italian |
| 9 | Daniela Simmons | "Pas pour moi" | Atilla Şereftuğ | Nella Martinetti | French |
The voting consisted of regional public votes which were sent to the three divisions of SRG SSR (SF DRS, TSR, TSI: German-Romansh, French, and Italian speaking, respectively), a press jury, and an "expert" jury. Applications for viewers to join the regional juries were sent via postcard until the week before the final, and 50 viewers from each canton were randomly selected to cast their votes to their broadcaster divisions via phone call. The winner was the song "Pas pour moi", composed by Atilla Şereftuğ with lyrics from Nella Martinetti and performed by Daniela Simmons.
Final — 23 February 1985 :
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Regional Juries | Regional Juries | Regional Juries | Press Jury | Expert Jury | Total | Place |
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | DRS | TSR | TSI | Press Jury | Expert Jury | Total | Place |
| 1 | Scarlet | "Fou d'amour pour toujours" | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 3 |
| 2 | Nöggi [de] | "Verschänk doch dini Liebi" | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 9 |
| 3 | Simonetta | "Un amore come una fiaba" | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 6 |
| 4 | Test | "Generation liberté" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 5 |
| 5 | Linard Bardill [rm] and Shefali Banerjee | "Tragnölin" | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 4 |
| 6 | Gruppo Pocafera | "Iside" | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 7 |
| 7 | Lily Lilas | "Lily Lilas" | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 7 |
| 8 | Paolo Monte | "Amore mio" | 8 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 35 | 2 |
| 9 | Daniela Simmons | "Pas pour moi" | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 48 | 1 |

## At Eurovision

At the Eurovision Song Contest 1986, held at the Grieghallen in Bergen, the Swiss entry was the tenth entry of the night following Spain and preceding Israel. The Swiss conductor at the contest was Atilla Şereftuğ, who composed the song. At the close of voting, Switzerland had received 140 points in total; finishing in second place out of nineteen countries, their highest score since 1982 and the third time they finished second.

### Voting

Each participating broadcaster assembled a jury panel with at least eleven members. The jurors awarded 1-8, 10, and 12 points to their top ten songs.