Austria

The first country that will present its entry live during the First Semi Final this year (on May 14) in Malmo will be Austria.  The country first participated in the ESC in 1957 and won its one and only victory in 1966 with "Mon Cheri" by Udo Jurgens (who took the win home on his third consecutive try), leading to Vienna hosting the contest the following year.  The last few decades have been unkind to Austria at Eurovision, partially as a result of the quality of performers the country has sent as its representatives to the Contest.  The country has been plagued with a lack of points received, ever since the introduction of the televoting system (ah, those pesky block voting countries), which led to the national broadcaster's (ORF) abandoning the contest in 2006.  They were vocal in their protest of the new televoting system that led to the block voting of ex-Soviet and ex-Yugoslav (and other Balkan) republics and Scandinavian countries, and left most Western European countries in the dust for almost a decade (until Germany's win in 2010).  Their protests were heard by the EBU, leading to the  implementation of the new double Semi Final system, and the introduction of the televote/jury split voting.

Austria returned in 2007 only to be severely disappointed with a 21st place finish (and only 30 points) in the Semi Final and again left the contest (this time for 5 years), returning in 2011 to the stage in Dusseldorf, after much pleading and lobbying by Germany and Switzerland.  This year the country is being represented by Natalia Kelly's "Shine," with high hopes that 2013 will be the year that Austria is back on top.

The song is heavily favored to place in the Top 5 and breaking Austria's decades long curse at the bottom of the leader board.  Perhaps this year Austria will end up on the receiving end some of the high marks they have sent off to the winners of the 2011 and 2012 contest.  Vielen Gluck Osterreich...vieleicht sehen wir uns nochmal in Wien in 2014.