The Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) is a beloved stage for young talent, and its format has remained largely unchanged for years. Yet, as a dedicated follower of the competition, I am concerned about its future. It pains me to see certain countries choosing not to participate for extended periods (e.g. Denmark, Norway, and Slovenia), or, heaven forbid, permanently, like the German children's oriented TV channel KiKa confirmed a few months ago. I miss these countries and believe that changes in the contest's format could be a compelling solution to bring them back.

1. Songwriting: One major issue that disenfranchises participants and countries alike is the songwriting process. Currently, in most national finals, such as Ukraine's unnamed pre-selection and the Netherlands' Junior Songfestival, as well as internal selections, songs are often written by established songwriters and assigned to the competitors. This practice detracts from the reality competition aspect of JESC, which should be a platform for aspiring singers aged 9 to 14 to showcase their original talents. When lyric sheets to these specially-made songs are handed to them, it undermines their creative input and authenticity. Instead, participants should have a more significant role in the songwriting, allowing their unique voices and stories to shine. If participants are selected internally, the participating broadcasters should look for a song written by a singer aged 9 to 14. If the songs are selected through a national final, the competing entries should also be written by the participants and sent to the corresponding broadcasters that organise national final formats. In the Netherlands, AVROTROS grouping the finalists into four acts and assigning original songs written by established songwriting teams who didn't record the vocals was in place since 2018. In Ukraine, Suspilne requires participants to submit videos of two cover songs and a separate introduction video, but are also allowed to submit original songs for consideration. Instead of selecting participants who submitted original songs, a.k.a self-written songs, for the final stage of the Ukrainian pre-selection, Suspilne assigns specially-made songs written by Svitlana Tarabarova and other established songwriters in Ukraine. Starting in 2027, the EBU should ban famous songwriters and only consider songs written by singers aged 9 to 14. Good thing "Esperança" was written solely by Victoria Nicole, who represented Portugal in 2024.
2. Nordic countries: Over in Norway, Melodi Grand Prix Junior is being revived in late May 2027; that contest of course requires self-written songs, and the maximum age for participation should be 14, and NRK should publish the songs on 1 May 2027. The channel also said they'd return for the first time since 2005 should the number of participating countries increase and participation fees are lowered, which I believe they will, after it was previously confirmed to the Polish Eurovision media website ESCSpot that Junior Eurovision participation "not being planned" is a "for now" thing. I'm glad pressure was removed in 2023, but that's no reason for countries like Denmark and Sweden to lengthen their absences either. Denmark's domestic children's contest, simply called MGP, hasn't taking place in September since 2009 when it was the pre-selection for the now-extinct MGP Nordic, nor has the children's MGP contest in Denmark been the pre-selection for Junior Eurovision since 2005. Since 2011, MGP in Denmark was held a week before or after the regular Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the pre-selection for Denmark in the regular Eurovision Song Contest. If the EBU bans established songwriters from Junior Eurovision starting in 2027, which I'm sure they will, and Denmark returns, the Danish broadcaster DR should publish the songs for the children's MGP on the first Friday of September with the contest taking place on the last Saturday of said month for the first time since 2009.
3. Participation fee: Some countries have complained about the high costs of participation, such as Slovenia and countries that never participated before like the Czech Republic and Finland. The participation fee needs to be lowered, and the number of participating countries should increase as well in order for countries I miss to afford participation. In fact, how about the participation be lowered to that of the contest's early years? It's easier and lets countries save money, national final or internal selection.

Moreover, the Junior Eurovision should encourage a more diverse range of musical genres and cultural expressions, reflecting the varied backgrounds of the contestants. This not only enriches the competition but also increases its appeal across different nations.

Let's not forget the potential impact of these changes: reviving interest in countries that have stepped back from the contest and sparking new interest worldwide by making the Junior Eurovision a celebration of young, emerging talent in its purest form.

I urge the Junior Eurovision organizers to consider these changes seriously, from requiring songs written by singers between the ages of 9 and 14 to lowering the participation fees. Your support is essential to make this happen. Please sign this petition to voice your desire for a Junior Eurovision that truly embodies creativity, fairness, and diversity. Together, we can promote a contest that is inclusive and inspirational for both participants and fans!

Sign the petition to bring these necessary changes to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2027!