Stefan Raab has told colleagues in German television that he wants to be held personally responsible if he does not guide his country to Eurovision victory in 2025. 

The German singer, television host and music producer is spearheading broadcaster ARD’s search to find Germany’s 2025 Eurovision representative through a four-part prime time television show called Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland?. 

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• Stefan Raab has taken on a personal responsibility for Germany’s Eurovision success in 2025, vowing to be held accountable if his country does not win
• He is leading Germany’s national selection through a four-part TV show, Chefsache ESC 2025, which will choose the country’s Eurovision representative
• Raab’s has already made the decision to remove the international jury from Germany’s national selection and has given full control to German viewers for the show’s final

This revelation about Raab’s ultimate aims for re-entering the Eurovision bubble after more than a decade away came from Germany’s Head of Delegation, Alexandra Wolfslast. 

Speaking exclusively to The Euro Trip, Wolfslast said: “Stefan made it his personal challenge. He wants to win. 

“He said, ‘Hold me responsible if we only come second’ which is a big thing to say.” 

Raab has an illustrious history with the Eurovision Song Contest which started in 1998 when Guildo Horn came seventh with Guildo hat euch lieb!, a song penned by Raab. 

He returned two years later again as a songwriter, as well as a performer himself, bettering his previous result by two places. 

After another top 10 result in 2004, but only as a composer, Raab’s peak came in 2010 when he guided Germany to its first victory since 1982. 

Raab, having been approached by broadcaster NDR to help out based on his Eurovision credentials, created the show Unser Star für Oslo which saw Lena triumph and then go on to win Eurovision with Satellite. 

In 2011, he dynamically hosted all three Eurovision shows when the contest was held in Düsseldorf following Lena’s victory. 

His most recent involvement came in 2012 when he was a juror in Unser Star für Baku, Germany’s national selection that year. 

Raab’s spectacular and surprising return to the Eurovision fold comes just months after he ended a hiatus of nearly a decade working in front of the camera. 

“Definitely it’s his show,” Wolfslast added. “We have to let him do what he wants to do because it wouldn’t be good to say, ‘By the way, Stefan, I would do it differently because I think it’s better’ because he should do it the way he wants to do it. 

“He obviously has the power to do so, and this is important. 

“We have a saying in Germany: too many chefs spoil the broth. Often with Eurovision you have too many CEOs here and there, and everybody wants to talk you into something. 

“I think in that way it’s cool to have a very clear person behind the process taking responsibility for it. He really wants to make it work. If he wants to win, he wants to win. 

“I’m sure he’s going to do everything he can with all the power he has to make it happen.” 

As a result of Raab taking a hands-on role in Germany’s selection process, Wolfslast is taking a backseat, instead focussing her time on being a more active Head of Delegation and managing the relationship between ARD and the EBU.

Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland? will take place across four evenings in February and March next year. 

The initial three shows will see 24 singers judged by Raab and a professional jury, but the decision who wins the final and ultimately represents Germany at Eurovision in Basel will be decided by German televoters only. 

Although the production of Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland? is still in its infancy, Raab made the decision very early on to scrap the international jury which was used in Germany’s national finals in 2023 and 2024. 

The final of Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland? – hosted by Barbara Schöneberger – will take place on March 1, and will be broadcast live on ARD Das Estre.