It pays to remember that this pageant’s inaugural winner and second short-lived titleholder both hail from Europe: Denmark‘s Catharina Svensson (2001) and Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s Dzejla Glavovich (2002). However, much like in other international pageants, the continent has generally struggled to maintain its stronghold recently. In fact, the last European to win and her complete her reign here was 2012‘s Czech titleholder, Tereza Fajskova.
Still, it’s safe to assume that its continental clout remains to have semblance of pulse here, as it managed to amass seven elemental titleholders since 2013. It is also the most represented region of this batch, with 29 delegates. More than half of which have a high chance of advancing to the next round.
Here’s an overview of Team Europe:
ARMENIA – Marina Shukuryan. This graphic designer is quite possibly the prettiest candidate sent by her country to this pageant so far, but a breakthrough still seems far from likely.
AUSTRIA – Enya Rock. Some may consider her more conventionally gorgeous than her country’s two previous Miss Air titleholders, but her low-key interview makes her prospects of advancing less than assured.
BELARUS – Maria Perviy. She was in the Top 15 in Miss International 2019 – the same year her country secured its highest placement in this pageant. It’s easy to lump her along with this year’s other Eastern European stunners, but her highlight was the Intelligence round, where she shared heartfelt anecdotes about her family surviving the Chernobyl disaster in the 1980s. That could be her ticket to sustaining her country’s streak.
BELGIUM – Selena Ali. While many would consider the original local titleholder, Nisa van Baelen more conventionally gorgeous, this entrepreneur is a quality representative in her own right. Others may trump her in the looks department, but it’s impossible to not listen to her speak. And perhaps, it may be time to reward this country for being present since 2002.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – Ines Radončic. It’s always been apparent that this country takes this pageant most seriously. After all, they did hold the crown – albeit briefly – in 2002. This blonde does fall in that same formidable caliber, but her absence in the Intelligence Round might hamper her fighting chances.
BULGARIA – Yuliia Pavlikova. It’s curious how she wound up representing the Land of the Roses here, considering that she’s brought honor to Russia in several previous minor pageants. Well, her adopted country could really use more recognition than it typically gets, though she faces a fierce battle against her able compatriots.
CRIMEA – Ksenia Salata. Whenever this peninsula sends stunners, it helps silence any qualms we have towards it being passed off as a country. Worthy as she is, though, she’ll have to overcome her equally formidable neighbors to be guaranteed a slot.
CROATIA – Ana Brajčić. This model has an interesting background as she’s lived and studied in different parts of Europe. Looks-wise, however, the powers-that-be may have other Europeans in mind.
CZECH REPUBLIC – Adéla Štroffeková. Looks-wise, this student should instantly be on top of the heap. But, again, the presence of other competitive European stunners and her rather tentative interviews might make things more challenging for her. Then again, her 2019 predecessor sure got away with it, and look how far she went.
DENMARK – Cecille Dissing. Yes, this entrepreneur is a worthy follow-up to her drought-ending predecessor, Micaela Rubinstein. But seeing that this is a more competitive batch, it remains to be seen if she can actually sustain the streak.
ENGLAND – Kate Marie. She has elegance and sophistication to spare but she was absent in the Intelligence round and appears to have no Eco Video. Apparently, the idea was to revert to sending all four constituent countries this year, but, unfortunately, only England confirmed participation. So, perhaps she should have competed as “United Kingdom”, still?
ESTONIA – Eliise Randmaa. This blonde made the cut in Miss Globe last year, but is less assured of replicating that feat here. Still, it’s nice to see this country sending formidable contenders again.
FRANCE – Amélie Gigan. Some may laud her tenacity for delivering her Intelligence Round responses in English, despite the presence of a French-speaking panelist. Others might lament the points were not taken across.
GREECE – Katerina Psychou. It’s worth remembering that the first Pinay to garner an element in this pageant bore this country’s sash 19 years ago. The country remained under the radar in this tilt since then and judging from this candidate’s low-key responses in the Intelligence round, the drought will likely continue.
IRELAND – Bronwyn O’Connell. While the Republic itself has yet to place, two girls from the Northern, UK-affiliated part of the island have previously made the cut. A breakthrough is still far from certain, but this lass is leaving the right impression.
ITALY – Federica Rizza. This model delivered placement-worthy performances in the looks-based challenges but didn’t stand out as much as she should have in the Intelligence round. The latter is the only thing keeping her from being a shoo-in at this point.
LATVIA – Liene Leitane. This beautiful blonde participated in last year’s Miss Globe pageant without much luck, so it’s nice to see her making a stronger impression here. She aced her looks-based challenge videos, and she answered her questions concisely and within the allotted time. Her ultimate placement will depend on how she’ll fare amidst the bevy of other competitive Eastern Europeans.
MONTENEGRO – Andrijana Nina Delibašic. So far, we haven’t met the Montenegrin who can prove that their 2018 placement wasn’t beginners’ luck.
NETHERLANDS – Saartje Langstraat. There may be angles where she channels a younger, prettier version of comedian Sandra Bernard, but she aced all her interview segments and looked solid in all looks-based challenges. It’s safe to assume that the streak will continue for at least one more year, and an element does feel overdue.
NORTH MACEDONIA – Ana Brzanova. She may be a long shot, but it’s nice to see this country back under its revamped name. Face it, “Former Yugoslav Republic of…” was too darn clunky to fit in a sash.
NORWAY – Madeline Denice Olsen. Choosing the street as her makeshift catwalk was a dangerous strategy to employ in the poise-based judging round. She looked like she was walking to her Uber. Though it’s nice to see that she has the makings of a pop star. She rocked J.Lo’s “Lets Get Loud” in her Talent challenge.
PORTUGAL – Gabriella Rodriguez. This half-Venezuelan is a solid contender, but it looks like this country’s streak will stop for now.
RUSSIA – Anastasia Almyasheva. She’s also among this year’s most facially stunning entrants, who performed quite decently in the Intelligence round. But again, the presence of other strong Former Soviet candidates makes a lofty placement feel like a pipe dream at this point.
SERBIA – Djina Radovac. Much as she showed competitive form in the looks-based judging rounds, her absence in Intelligence round might be to her disadvantage.
SLOVENIA – Asja Bonnie Pivk. This economics student carries her curves well and has an intriguing edgy pop star vibe about her, even if she isn’t. Should the panel be in the mood for more unconventional choices, they should definitely give her a second look.
SPAIN – Marina Fernandez. This law student has the trim figure and fiery presence that we’ve come to expect from the classic Spaniard delegate, though the powers-that-be might go for girls with softer features.
SWEDEN – Linn Bjurström Salonen. As far as Team Scandinavia goes, this real estate broker is in the middle of the pack. But as it is, the Easterners seem to have the upper hand in their continent.
SWITZERLAND – Jelena Bukcevic. It’s nice to see this country back and all, but this one acts like she was forced to join.
UKRAINE – Marina Litvin. She has the looks to be deemed a worthy contender and slayed in her looks-based challenges, but lest we forget, this pageant has a history of ignoring even the most crown-worthy Ukrainians. Also aggravating matters is her lack of an Eco Video.
STANDOUTS: AUSTRIA, BELARUS, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, CRIMEA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, ESTONIA, ITALY, LATVIA, NETHERLANDS, RUSSIA, UKRAINE
COMING NEXT: ASIA AND OCEANIA
Planet Chuckie 