In , the year before its first appearance, Romania attempted to debut in the contest, but came last in the pre-qualifying round. After successfully joining the following year, poor placements followed until 2002, resulting in relegation several times. This changed with the introduction of semi-finals to the contest in 2004, after which Romania qualified for the Grand Final every year except and . In 2016, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) suspended broadcaster Televiziunea Română (TVR) from all EBU member services due to repeated non-payment of debts, which in turn disqualified its entry from participating in the contest. In , despite having selected a representative, the nation was unable to take part due to the contest's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related cancellation. Romania's most recent Grand Final appearance in saw Ilinca and Alex Florea reach seventh place.