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Eight shows with voting
This week: a preview
Germany
The German national final will be held on Thursday with five acts competing. Like every year, the winner will be chosen by televoting, but this time in two rounds with the first round selecting the top two. Furthermore, various former Eurovision Song Contest participants will appear in the show: Katja Ebstein (Germany 1970, 1971 and 1980), Ruslana (Ukraine 2004) and Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007).
Sweden
The second chance round of Melodifestivalen will be held on Saturday. The third and fourth places acts of the four heats will compete against each other in different stages. The two winners will complete the line-up of the national final, which will be held on 15th March presumably making Sweden the final country to choose its representative.
Spain
After various withdrawals and disqualifications, the Spanish national final will be held on Saturday, this year in a more classic way again: 10 songs will be presented and the winner will be chosen by televoting. Spain has finished in the bottom five the last three years and hopes to do much better this year.
Armenia
Sirusho will perform all four or five songs in the Armenian national final on Saturday. Armenia has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest twice so far finishing 8th in the final both in 2006 and 2007. André and Hayko, the respective performers, will both appear in the national final.
Belgium
After four quarter finals and two semi finals, the Belgian national final will be held with the five remaining acts competing. The eventual winner will be chosen by televoting, the jury will only give advice again. The Flemish broadcaster, which is responsible for the Belgian entry every second year, has been waiting for a top ten finish since 1977 and if it is gonna happen this year, it will be decided on Sunday.
Serbia
The Serbian selection, which has been postponed, will kick off on Sunday with the semi final being held. 20 songs will be presented and the top ten will be chosen by a jury and televoting to move forward to the national final on Monday.
Russia
Russia will choose its representative during a national final on Saturday. With 25 songs presented in one show, it will be the biggest national final show this year. The last time the Russian representative was chosen in a televised final was in 2005 which resulted in Russia's worst result in this decade and second worst result overall.
Portugal
Another national final will be held on Sunday: the Portuguese one. Again, ten songs will be presented. Portugal is one of only three countries that has not qualified in every semi final broadcast so far. In 2007, the country was closer than ever, finishing 11th - maybe this year they will take the final step?
Other events
Various other entries are supposed to be revealed this week: the Bosnia & Herzegoninian entry today, the Dutch entry on Friday and the Monetenigrin entry on Saturday. However, various song presentations have already been re-scheduled this year so this information may not be 100% right now.
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LATVIA looks like the winner, a great song
No matter how hard the EBU High Ranking Officers are trying to prove that the Eurovision Song Contest itself has nothing to do with politics, in terrible situations like the one "unfolding" in ARMENIA, it's more than obvious that the Contest is highly depending on how politics are run and going all around Europe.
Bottom line is that when you are trying to be in-political the most probable thing to happen is politics to knock your door and to knock it hard.
I hope Nordman kick Carola's ass 
I hope Carola kicks Nordmans ass!
lets hope these countries will choose good songs
Germany: Cinema Bizarre or Marquess
Spain: La casa azul
Sweden: Nordman to the final
Serbia: Jelena Tomasevic
"Innata" for SPAIN! (not great, but the best in the selection)
The last countries to select a song for Belgrade, is countries I think might come up with good song! Belgium MUST send Sandrine. Serbia have to send BQ's or a guy who got a good song(don't remember his name). Is this your year, Portugal?, I hope so. Spain, Germany...goodluck! And Sweden...THERESE!
I also hope for a great entry formy "dream-winner", FRANCE!
@ togravus ceterum
You're right with Sabrina. What I liked on her, was her way to present her song. She brought the most flow on stage and I liked her winking smile... When I saw her last year in the preselection, I was convinced that Portugal had picked the wrong song, but that it wouldn't score so low like in the years before because of Sabrina's charm and charisma.
But things like this are hard to predict: Sofia Victoria had the same stunning charm and the same congenial stage appearance and she had no chance to qualify with a much better song. Still remember when she sang "na-na naquele dia" and shaked her hips in this sweet pink dress.
And I don't want to start again with Rita Guerra and her lugubrious charm...
I'd like to see La Casa Azul for Spain too, but I'm afraid it's gonna be definitely El Chikichiki.
Coral or La casa azul to Belgrade for SPAIN!!
My favorites of Eurovision 2008:
1º Czech Republic
2º Greece
3º Iceland
4º Andorra
5º Norway
6º Belarus
For Sweden please Charlotte Perelli with "Hero". Fantastic song & singer.
SPAIN & SWEDEN 12 POINTS FROM EUROPE!!!
Btw, Sabrina is a charming girl, isn't she? I will always fondly remember the interview in which she said: "It is hard for us in ESC. We are on the wrong side of Europe." Douze points!
Yes, the best Flemish result was in 1977 (with three Dutch singers :-))))))))))
Max
I agree on Rita Guerra, MTM and Sofia Victoria, who was simply robbed in 2004. However, I still cannot understand Sabrina's 11th place. The song was so dull. I will definitely watch Festival do Canção, but only if the quality of songs and webcast is better than last year.
There were times when I thought this could become the worst Eurovision line-up I've ever seen. But at the moment, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to Belgrade.
There are already about twelve to fifteen songs which I really like...
And I have high expectations in Belgium and Germany. If Ishtar and Cinema Bizarre are going to Serbia, then everything's just wonderful 
...
I'm looking also forward to see the Portuguese national final. I like Portugal quite much - Rita Guerra brought one of the most impressive songs of the 2000s, I belong to the minority who loved the charming MTM-guys, the marvellous Sofia Victoria and the sweet Sabrina, and finally, Vania de Oliveira with Sei Quem Sou (Portugal) was one of the favourite songs in my itunes last summer...
@phil: none of the entries you wrote about have been send by the flemish broadcaster
Phil Staveley
All the songs you mentioned were selected by the Wallonian broadcaster. The passage you quote deals with the history of the unfortunate Flemish TV station.
And what about France??
Really looking forward to Germany for watching Katja Ebstein, Spain for hopefully watching La Casa Azul taking the ticket and for Rafaella Carra and Serbia for a very good NF yet another year.
I hope Serbia choose Jelena's "Oro"... It will had a great chance in final
I am also utterly shocked this year about so many horrible entries but I found more than ten very lovable songs which calmed me down and now they only country I am expecting something great from is Portugal, then I am- somewhat- satisfied, only the voting has to go well lol
i hope germany choose cinema bizarre . it will be one ofthe best songs in belgrade
A bit sad an era had ended, huh...given what's been put forward to this year's Eurovision, I'm almost glad the preselection season is over. I don't know how many "wrong" decisions I can take this year.
Looking forward to Germany picking their entry, though. And Portugal...this has to be the year they qualify to the final, surely?
Looking forward to our dear german neighbours
hope for Cinema Bizarre to complete the freak show with a serious song
Beauty Queens!!!!
Okay, this year, it really should be the year of Portugal with Vania and an Andrej Babic- song! If anyone deserves to do well, it is Portugal!
The Dutch song will be presented friday, not saturday.
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