If Simeon really wants the return of the monarchy, he has no choice but to work for the welfare of the people and the state. If he fails, it will be his personal disappointment, but also another disappointment for Bulgarians who expect a better future.
Sofija
Former Bulgarian emperor Simeon of Saxe-Coburg set a world precedent in the 17st century. First, in less than two months, he created a political formation that won the general election on June 120 by a landslide, winning 240 of the XNUMX seats in the parliament, and then he decided to accept the post of prime minister, breaking the maxim that says "the emperor does not rule, he reigns ".
"With great enthusiasm, but also with a strong sense of responsibility, bearing in mind the vote of confidence we received on June 17, I accept this proposal," Simeon II said in slightly archaic Bulgarian when offered to form a new government last week.
Although most politicians and analysts believe that it was a logical move, there are many who were surprised and who doubt that Simeon II accepted the rules of the game of parliamentary democracy in the Republic of Bulgaria. There were also those who did not believe that the former emperor would be allowed to become prime minister, because that presupposes swearing at the Constitution of the Republic. The fact that the former emperor announced his decision to accept the formation of a new government on July 12, when the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Bulgarian constitution was marked, is only part of the symbolism that is not yet entirely clear. When he accepted the job of prime minister and said that "it is an extremely difficult and complex task", Simeon Saxe-Coburg showed, however, that he is aware of what awaits him.
CONCENTRATION THE POWERS: According to the Bulgarian constitution, almost all power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister. The president of the republic, although elected directly, has mostly ceremonial powers and in practice little depends on him. In addition, Simeon II succeeds Ivan Kostov as prime minister, who is considered the best prime minister since the beginning of the transition in Bulgaria in 1989. During his tenure, Bulgaria overcame the financial crisis by introducing a restrictive monetary council system and achieved financial stability, which allowed foreign exchange reserves to increase to 3,5 billion dollars. The country has been invited to start negotiations on joining the EU, aspires to join NATO and, if the words of European and American leaders are to be believed, has become a member of the "international community" that enjoys credibility.
Bulgaria, however, continues to struggle with numerous problems on the internal level - from high unemployment, which has exceeded the rate of 18 percent, to the increasing social stratification of society, uneven development of the city and countryside, to widespread corruption. It is believed that this was precisely the opposition advantage that the former emperor and his National Movement "Simeon the Second" used to win the elections. But, at the same time, it is a big challenge for the new authorities.
SOLDIER-BUSINESSMAN: Simeon II is the 48th Prime Minister, since liberation from Ottoman slavery. He was born on June 16, 1937 in Sofia, and his birth was celebrated by firing 101 cannonballs. He was proclaimed emperor as a six-year-old boy, after the death of his father Boris III.
After the communists came to power in September 1944, the regents who ruled the country instead of the minor emperor were killed, and immediately after the referendum on the republic, the imperial family was expelled from the country. With only hand luggage and 200 dollars, nine-year-old Simeon, his mother Joana and aunt Evdokia leave Bulgaria and go to Egypt via Turkey. After several years in Egypt, the Bulgarian imperial family moved to Spain in 1951.
Simeon II graduated from the French Lyceum in Madrid, in 1956, and began to study law and political science, but after two years he entered the American military academy Valley Forch in Wayne, which he completed in one year instead of two. Simeon II, who is said to be fluent in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese, married a wealthy Spanish woman of non-royal blood in 1962, first in the Catholic and then in the Orthodox Church. He has four sons with her, whom he gave Bulgarian names, and one daughter.
From the early sixties, Simeon II devoted himself to business. According to some data, he was on the board of directors of many Western multinational companies, but the Bulgarian public is not sufficiently familiar with this. It is believed to be part of a family strategy. According to the well-known expert on European monarchies Stefan Bern, the motto of the Saxe-Coburg family is that they "expose themselves at the last moment", and Simeon himself once said that "exile is the best school for a monarch".
These qualities of his were shown in the pre-election period when the court registration of his movement was rejected due to irregularities in the documents, and he was "forced" to participate in the elections "under the name" of a coalition of two completely unknown parties. They are also shown during the ongoing negotiations on the formation of a coalition government. Simeon II is negotiating with the ruling Union of Democratic Forces (UDS), which criticized him during the election campaign, and with the ethnic Turks' Movement for Rights and Freedoms (PPS).
Simeon II replied to accusations that he was "not concrete" in the negotiations: "You have to get used to my way of doing business. I am very sorry, but at the age of 64 it is difficult for a person to change his way of thinking. I don't like rashness, because from it comes stupidity and big words."
There is a lot of speculation among the Bulgarian public about the appearance of the future government, but, contrary to the current practice, for now it seems that only Simeon II knows who will be on the list of ministers that he should present to the President of the Republic, Petar Stojanov, on July 22. What is not so unknown is the future policy of Simeon of Saxe-Coburg. On the external front, no surprises are expected - joining NATO and the EU remain the most important priority, but probably everything will not remain exactly the same.
It is no secret that Simeon II was on close friendly terms with the late Moroccan King Hassan VI, as well as with the late Jordanian King Hussein, whose wife Noor came to Sofia right after the election and greeted Simeon's victory. After winning the elections, the former Bulgarian emperor received congratulations from British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac, and among the greetings was a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was brought from Moscow by Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Nikola Filchev.
Internally, Simeon "has time" until October 2, 2003, when, according to calculations, the 800-day deadline set by the former emperor for a significant improvement in living standards expires.
THE FUTURE ARRANGEMENT COUNTRY: His program envisages a rapid increase in salaries and pensions, the creation of a microcredit system, even greater liberalization of the economy and the creation of better conditions for attracting foreign investments. Also planned are measures to strengthen agriculture, develop energy and tourism, and create free trade zones in southern Bulgaria in order to attract capital from Greece and Turkey.
The question of the future state organization of the country also remains open, because the words of Simeon II that "the return of the monarchy is not on the agenda" do not exclude raising this issue after a certain time. When asked by the Russian magazine "Itogi" whether he would agree to become an active monarch again, Simeon II said: "I guess I will have no choice." The voice of the people is the voice of God. Everything depends on the Bulgarian people. I emphasize that the return of the monarchy can really make our life more democratic, and more in accordance with the law and the Constitution."
Many Bulgarian analysts believe that the return of the monarchy is actually Simeon II's goal. He has now accepted the rules of the game in the republic, and he must respect them. However, it is not excluded that after some time, when and if it becomes obvious that the former emperor succeeds in providing a better life for the people, the citizens themselves will launch an initiative to restore the monarchy.
If Simeon really wants the return of the monarchy, he has no choice but to work for the welfare of the people and the state. If he fails, it will be his personal disappointment, but also another disappointment for Bulgarians who expect a better future.
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