Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020

**Switzerland** participated in the **Eurovision Song Contest 2020**. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) organised an internal selection in order to select the Swiss entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

## Background

Prior to the 2020 Contest, Switzerland had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixty times since their first entry in 1956. Switzerland is noted for having won the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Refrain" performed by Lys Assia. Their second and, to this point, most recent victory was achieved in 1988 when Canadian singer Céline Dion won the contest with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi". Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004, Switzerland had managed to participate in the final four times up to this point. In 2005, the internal selection of Estonian girl band Vanilla Ninja, performing the song "Cool Vibes", qualified Switzerland to the final where they placed 8th. Due to their successful result in 2005, Switzerland was pre-qualified to compete directly in the final in 2006. Between 2007 and 2010, the nation failed to qualify to the final after a string of internal selections. Since opting to organize a national final from 2011 onwards, Switzerland has managed to qualify to the final twice. In 2019, Switzerland qualified for the final for the first time since 2014, placing 4th in the final with the song "She Got Me" performed by Luca Hänni.

The Swiss national broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), broadcasts the event within Switzerland and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. SRG SSR confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on 11 July 2019.

## Before Eurovision

### Internal selection

SRG SSR opened a submission period for interested artists and songwriters to submit their entries from 2 September 2019 until 16 September 2019. 515 entries were received, and the winner was then determined by a 100-member public panel and a 20-member International Expert Jury formed of former members of the respective country juries at Eurovision. Both juries each had a 50% say in the final decision on the Swiss entry, with the winner being revealed on 4 March 2020 by the Swiss broadcasters.

On 4 March 2020, Gjon's Tears was announced as the Swiss entrant at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Répondez-moi".

## At Eurovision

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big 5" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 28 January 2020, the allocation draw was held, determining which of the two semi-finals and which half of the show each country would perform in. Switzerland was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 14 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.

#### Points awarded to Switzerland

Points awarded to Switzerland (Semi-final 2)

### **Split Voting Results**

The following five members comprised the Swiss jury:

* Juror 1: Tiesiog Alantas
* Juror 2: Miguel Correia
* Juror 3: Eugene
* Juror 4: Milana
* Juror 5: Timon