Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Participating broadcaster	Televiziunea Română (TVR)
Country	Romania
Selection process	Selecția Națională 2009
Selection date	31 January 2009
Competing entry
Song	"The Balkan Girls"
Artist	Elena
Songwriters	Ovidiu Bistriţeanu Laurenţiu Duţă Daris Mangal Alexandru Pelin
Placement
Semi-final result	Qualified (9th, 67 points)
Final result	19th, 40 points
Participation chronology
◄2008 • 2009 • 2010►

Romania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. They selected their entry, "The Balkan Girls", by Romanian singer Elena through the national selection competition Selecția Națională 2009 organised by Romanian Television (TVR) in January 2009. Prior to the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, Romania competed eleven times since its first entry in 1994. Its highest placing in the contest had been third place, which the nation achieved in 2005. In 2008, Romania finished in 20th place.^[1] "The Balkan Girls" attained local commercial success, topping the Romanian Top 100 in April.^[2]

The song was promoted by a music video and live performances in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. Romania qualified in ninth place from the contest's first semi-final on 12 May and ultimately reached 19th place in the Grand Final on 16 May, achieving 40 points. This remains one of the country's lowest Eurovision placements. Elena was accompanied by four female dancers and a background singer during her performance. Conceived as a reinterpretation of the Ieles in Romanian mythology, the show was aided by 3D computer graphics of a blooming forest.