News of a strange candidacy has reached me via the handy route of Google Alerts and ‘Select Property‘, a website that gives some news about Bulgaria in English for property investors. Apparently Simeon Saxe-Coburg, formerly Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2001-2005) and formerly Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria intends to put himself forward as a candidate to be President of the European Council. Anyone in favour of the first Tsar of the EU? Maybe he also needs a Prince of Darkness alongside him?
Update 3.4.08 – Leader of the ALDE Group in the EP Graham Watson has welcomed Saxe-Coburg’s candidacy in a rather guarded fashion.
(Please note: this entry was posted on 31st March, not 1st April)
If you want an open race, you should welcome announced candidates before you deride them, IMHO.
Sorry, I don’t want *any* candidates for President of the European Council as I want that position to be held by the Commission President… Plus you surely have to find the idea of an ex-monarch taking the position as slightly amusing?
[...] April Fools joke by speculating that a former tsar will be President of the European Council in a post over at whodoicall.eu - problem is that I wrote it yesterday, and as far as I can tell at least the candidacy is serious [...]
He was too young (6) to be a good tsar, but when the people gave him a second chance as a prime minister he did quite lausy job.
On thing is sure, those who got blinded by his famous qoute “I will fix Bulgaria in 800 days”, will not get fooled again.
Jon, to make matters even stranger, he is now in a coalition with the former communists, who kicked him out of Bulgaria after the war:) He is also an avid gambler, who sold most of his father’s (King Boris III) valuables, so he could satisfy his urges on the tables in Monte Carlo. And, finally, he is a distant cousin of Her Majesty, so he’ll look out for Britain’s interests, I’m sure:)
I think that Mr Saxe-Coburg’s run is a very long shot, nevertheless it would be a very dull competition where you shoot the runners in the pre-qualification. I am a republican but until we let monarchies stay in the EU I think we cannot rule out a former monarch per se.