#BIRTHDAY: 13 Nov – Ortal from France is 48

We often say that the fortunes of countries wax and wane over the years. Powerhouses become also-rans, and no-hopers become contenders. This is sometimes a flash in the pan, and sometimes sustained.

Take France for example. They excelled in those early years but haven’t had a win since 1977. They came close in the 1990s and early 2000s, and then managed a runners-up spot in 2021. But to go with these there were the lean years. In 2005, France picked today’s birthday girl Ortal (née Marie Ortal Malka) through a national final. Onto Kyiv, and Ortal didn’t have things all her own way. She performed last, meaning she’d had to wait for ever to get her three minutes on stage, but she also only scored 11 points. Five of them came from a 100% jury vote, and five came from her home country. Fortunately, France’s fortunes have generally improved since then.

Authors: Riigi Ametnik, John Stanton

Source: OnEurope