'Bulgaria without Censorship' Leader Backs Reinstatement of Monarchy

Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, former leader of the Bulgarian National Movement for Stability and Progress, and the country's ex-king, has been proposed for EU Commissioner.

In a Friday interview for private TV station TV7, Nikolay Barekov, leader of the Bulgaria without Censorship party, claimed that Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha was "Bulgaria's door to the highest posts in the European Union."

Barekov, a former TV host, argued that if Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha was elected EU Commissioner, he stood a chance of becoming the top diplomat in the EU.

Barekov insisted that the current socialist-led government had to refrain from nominating an EU Commissioner and to focus on the search for a consensus candidate, somebody else than Bulgaria's current EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, who had been nominated by center-right party GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), or Sergey Stanishev, the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and Party of European Socialists (PES).

He listed a number of compromise candidates such as outgoing Bulgarian MEP Ivaylo Kalfin, former Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov and Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha.

"If we play our trump card with the king, a reshuffling of cards may take place and the position of EU Commissioner for External Relations may be given to Bulgaria" Barekov reasoned.

He went on to propose the return of monarchy.

Barekov vowed to organize a referendum on a number of issues, including the reinstatement of monarchy in Bulgaria, provided that he received sufficient support at the early general elections.

"Monarchy is very well accepted in Europe. A figure such as the king would block the mistakes of politicians. Now this role has to be played by the President, but...