Saxecoburggotski, Simeon

▪ 2002

      On July 24, 2001, Simeon Saxecoburggotski became prime minister of Bulgaria. The new head of government had ruled the country as Tsar Simeon II from 1943 to 1945. In early April 2001 he formed a party that, in the elections held in June, won exactly half of the seats in the National Assembly. He then formed a coalition government dedicated to economic reform and to ending corruption.

      The future tsar was born on June 16, 1937, in Sofia. His father, Tsar Boris III, died suddenly on Aug. 28, 1943, and at the age of six the boy ascended the throne as Simeon II. By late 1944 the Red Army had occupied Bulgaria, and regents ruling in the boy's name were executed in 1945. A referendum in September 1946 ended the monarchy, and Simeon II and his mother were forced into exile. They lived first in Egypt, where the boy studied in Alexandria at Victoria College (1946–51), and then went to Spain. He graduated from the Lycée Français in Madrid in 1957, attended the Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa., in 1958–59, and became a successful businessman in Madrid. In 1962 he married the daughter of a Spanish banking family. He first returned to Bulgaria as a visitor in 1996, and most of the royal property was later returned to him.

      In April 2001 he announced the formation of the National Movement for Simeon II to field candidates in the national legislative elections scheduled for June 17. When the courts ruled that the party had not met all of the requirements for registration, two minor parties allowed the movement to join them in a coalition, which allowed it to participate in the election. Although the former tsar was not himself a candidate, he campaigned for those running under the party banner. The party won 120 of the 240 seats and formed a coalition with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which represented the country's Turkish minority.

      Upon taking office, the new prime minister took as his surname Saxecoburggotski, the Bulgarian form of the name of his royal house, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His cabinet was notable for including a large number of professionals, particularly people trained in finance and economics, and for its youth. Few members had previous political experience, and none had ever been a member of a cabinet; two of the positions went to Turks. The new prime minister announced an 800-day reform planthat called for lower taxes, a balanced budget, increased investment, and improved living standards, and he stressed the importance of preparing Bulgaria for membership in the European Union and NATO. He brushed aside charges from opponents that his ultimate aim was to restore the monarchy.

Robert Rauch

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▪ prime minister and former king of Bulgaria

formerly  Simeon II , also known as  Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  or  Simeon Coburgotski 

born June 16, 1937, Sofia, Bulg.

      the last king of Bulgaria, reigning as a child from 1943 to 1946 as Simeon II. He later served as the country's prime minister (2001–05).

      On Aug. 28, 1943, his father, Boris III, died under mysterious circumstances—the cause of death being reported variously as heart attack or poisoning—and the six-year-old crown prince ascended the throne, overseen by a three-man regency comprising Boris's brother Prince Cyril, former war minister Lieutenant General Nikolai Michov, and former premier Bogdan Filov. After Bulgaria quit the Axis Powers and was overrun by the Soviet Red Army, the regents were arrested, and on Feb. 2, 1945, all three were executed as enemies of the state and as collaborators with the Germans. A second regency was established, but on Sept. 8, 1946, the monarchy was voted out of existence, and Simeon and his mother, Queen Ioanna, went into exile. Simeon eventually settled in Madrid, marrying a Spanish heiress.

      In 1996 Simeon visited Bulgaria and most of the royal property was later returned to him. In April 2001 he announced the formation of the National Movement for Simeon II, an organization that set out to field candidates in the national legislative elections scheduled in June. When the courts ruled that the party had not met all of the requirements for registration, it joined two minor parties' coalition and was thereby allowed to participate in the election. The party won 120 of the 240 seats and formed a coalition with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which represented the country's Turkish minority. On July 24, 2001, Simeon became the country's prime minister.

      Upon taking office, Simeon took as his surname Saxecoburggotski, the Bulgarian form of the name of his royal house, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Saxecoburggotski, who largely appointed professionals and those lacking political experience to his cabinet, vowed to introduce economic reforms and end corruption. He also stressed the importance of preparing Bulgaria for membership in the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and in 2004 the country became a member of the latter. In the 2005 elections Saxecoburggotski's party finished second in the voting, and he was replaced as prime minister by Sergei Stanishev of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

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