Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, it’s now time to discuss What Went Wrong. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 10 acts did not get a chance to see that.

In our twelfth part Euan, Tom, and Molly discuss what went wrong with Switzerland.

Who is Veronica Fusaro?

Veronica Fusaro is a 28-year-old singer-songwriter born in the Swiss town of Thun. She first gained recognition when she took part in The Voice of Switzerland in 2014. She honed her craft following her appearance on the show, and was given critical and public acclaim in 2019 when she released her debut song “”Rollercoaster””. She has since played large festivals including Glastonbury and the Nîmes Festival. She has released two albums and a number of EPs throughout her career.

Her song for Eurovision 2026 – “”Alice”” – was written by Veronica herself, as well as Charlie McClean.

What are the issues with the selection?

Euan: I think this is probably the only country in the contest I can say has absolutely no issues with its selection. They are managing to bring in such a wealth of talent into their process that other countries could only dream of. I do prefer a national selection, but they have perfected this stream on internals.

Tom: Nothing. Internally selecting great artists has clearly worked for them in recent years, and it should’ve worked for them this year. Switzerland was robbed. Veronica was robbed. This one hurts. I think Switzerland is one of only a few countries that actually do better with an internal selection than they would national final.

Molly: Switzerland has been one of the strongest internal selections since 2019. With 3 Top 10 finishes, including a win, the selection process seems not to be the problem for Switzerland, as they make it work. The withdrawal of their first choice in the selection may have impacted how they continued in the 2026 season, but Veronica was an inspired choice, deviating from the traditional ballad structure they tend to gravitate toward.

Was the song and act good enough to be in Eurovision?

Euan: Given it was one of the top three best songs of the year in the contest; absolutely. Veronica has an amazing energy on stage. The song was refined. It had an intoxicating charm to it, as well as having the emotional weight in the meaning behind it. I’d promise not to continually yass about it, but that would be a lie.

Tom: Absolutely. The public and the jury both thought so. I thought so personally, this song absolutely deserved to be in this year’s Contes. Veronica is an incredible talent. The message of the song was brilliant, with enough to sell it to casual viewers who hadn’t researched the lyrics. I’m angry it didn’t qualify still.

Molly: While deviating from the traditional Swiss formula at Eurovision, this song was a great option for Eurovision. The only downside of the song may be that it was too “radio-friendly” and may not have left the impact on people to drive them to vote for the entry, but to me the song was strong. Veronica’s storytelling and passion to deliver the message of the song to the world were highly admirable, and the music video was stunning yet heartbreaking at the same time. It fit the Swiss tradition of a strong message personal to the singer, but it was delivered in a different format than usual.

Did the staging compliment the song and stand out?

Euan: I thought the staging was great, but I can understand how seeing this performance for the first time, it may have been detrimental to the overall experience. The whole thing is very busy and a tad distracting. In no stretch of the imagination is the staging bad, but I think they should have gone for something more stripped back with more focus on just Veronica.

Tom: I thought the staging was really wow. One of my favourite packages from the 2026 Contest. I can understand why it may have come across a little messy, perhaps. But it told the story and message of the song so well. Veronica shone throughout. And it was memorable. I’m not sure there is much at all I would have done differently! The song is personal, brilliantly performed, different enough from other entries and very competitive. THIS DESERVED TO QUALIFY.

Molly: The staging was beautiful for me. When the images dropped, I remember conversation picking up around the song with its qualification becoming a frequent topic of discussion. The rope imagery and constant eye contact with the camera were perfectly matched for the song, and the emotion in delivery was there. The messiness of the frame and the breakaway as the electric guitar plays was amazing. The only problem for me was that I think Alice fell victim to the Vienna camera angles in certain shots.

Could this song have qualified if changes were made?

Euan: Given how close she was to qualifying, I think this is the one song this year where you’d struggle to say that it was a sure fire NQ. I feel like the only change that could have been made was the staging above. It just deserved to qualify so much more than anything else this year.

Tom: I really don’t know why it didn’t qualify so I don’t know what changes needed to be made. This was excellent. I guess if we’re talking changes, this would have qualified in the 2025 semifinal system. Thats the change I would make. Swap this, and Zoë Më around maybe. “Voyage” in 2026 and “Alice” in 2025. I think both Zoë and Veronica would benefit from that. 

Molly: 9th in the Jury, 9th in the public, yet no qualification. To me, the qualification came down to the semi-final draw. With such strong jury appeal in Crossroads, Eclipse and Bella fighting with the public appeal in Bangaranga, and Choke Me, Alice fell victim to this lineup. Had the public supported this song a bit more, qualification would have been definite, but it was entirely down to luck of the draw.

What are our outlooks for future contests?

Euan: I think this result should be taken as a temporary wobble from what is otherwise a stellar record since 2017 (I hate that I’m agreeing with Rory). While they’ve not all been the top set of results, every song has stood out and shined in a specific way. Even with this not so great result, there was still so much quality here that I think the post-Gjon era or Switzerland being in the top rung of countries will continue. I really think that Switzerland is the country in the current era in the contest that we should most expect to be having another winner waiting in the wings.

Tom: Switzerland has the potential to be a bit of a powerhouse in the Contest, if recent years are anything to go by. Since 2019 (honestly, personally, since 2017), they’ve really started sending some iconic songs and artists. I look forward to whatever they send next year, and I think the internal selection process is truly working for them. Heck, send Veronica again and I’d be happy. 

Molly: Switzerland should not let this result be their downfall. While they didn’t qualify overall, individually they made it in each category. Continuing their consistency in their entries is necessary, and maybe in 2027 they might get luckier, but they should not let this result demoralise them. 

Watch the accompanying discussion video here:

Switzerland’s Eurovision Journey

Switzerland both hosted and debuted in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Their first participation was successful, as they won with Lys Assia’s “Refrain”. Since then, they have participated on 63 occasions, making the Grand Final 52 times.

Switzerland’s most recent participation saw them being represented in Vienna by Veronica Fusaro with her song “Alice”. Competing in the second semi-final, Switzerland had failed to qualify for the final, finishing in 11th place with 108 points. Veronica earned a total of 60 points from the audience and 48 from the jury.

What do think about our thoughts? Do you think Switzerland could have qualified? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!

Source: That Eurovision Site

Image Credit: EBU / Corinne Cumming

Post navigation