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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Saxe-Coburg again mooted as 'President of Europe'
Solomon Passi, left, and Simeon Saxe-Coburg in the days when Passi was foreign minister and Saxe-Coburg prime minister of Bulgaria
Photo: Krassimir Yuskesseliev
Former foreign minister Solomon Passi has revived the issue of Bulgaria's former prime minister and ex-king Simeon Saxe-Cobourg being Bulgaria's nomination for the post of President of European Council.
The post, dubbed "President of Europe" is created by the Lisbon Treaty, the new constitutional dispensation for the European Union which is yet to complete the process of ratification, against which the presidents of Poland and of the Czech Republic have been holding out.
On October 7 2009, Passi told Bulgarian news agency BTA that Bulgaria had to have a nominee for the post, and that Saxe-Coburg was one of the few people in Bulgaria worthy of it.
Passi gave the example of Bulgaria's ambassador to France Irina Bokova who was recently elected Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco.
Earlier in 2009, Passi failed in his bid to be elected Secretary General of Nato.
The question of Saxe-Coburg and the post of President of the European Council was first raised in March 2008 by his party, the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP),which said that Bulgaria had to come forward with one strong candidacy for the post and Saxe-Coburg would be a suitable candidacy.
The then-European integration minister Gergana Grancharova, who is a member of NMSP, also said that Saxe-Coburg's candidacy had been discussed at top EU level, while Saxe-Coburg declined to comment on the issue.
In March 2008, Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, said that Saxe-Coburg could bring a unique and rich experience to the European Union as president of European Council.
At that point, the NMSP was a member of the ruling coalition. At the July 2009 elections, however, the party won no seats in Parliament, which led to Saxe-Coburg resigning from his post as party leader.
The President of the European Council will have a two-and-a-half year term, renewable once, replacing the current system where countries take turns at being president for six months.
The post, dubbed "President of Europe" is created by the Lisbon Treaty, the new constitutional dispensation for the European Union which is yet to complete the process of ratification, against which the presidents of Poland and of the Czech Republic have been holding out.
On October 7 2009, Passi told Bulgarian news agency BTA that Bulgaria had to have a nominee for the post, and that Saxe-Coburg was one of the few people in Bulgaria worthy of it.
Passi gave the example of Bulgaria's ambassador to France Irina Bokova who was recently elected Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco.
Earlier in 2009, Passi failed in his bid to be elected Secretary General of Nato.
The question of Saxe-Coburg and the post of President of the European Council was first raised in March 2008 by his party, the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP),which said that Bulgaria had to come forward with one strong candidacy for the post and Saxe-Coburg would be a suitable candidacy.
The then-European integration minister Gergana Grancharova, who is a member of NMSP, also said that Saxe-Coburg's candidacy had been discussed at top EU level, while Saxe-Coburg declined to comment on the issue.
In March 2008, Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, said that Saxe-Coburg could bring a unique and rich experience to the European Union as president of European Council.
At that point, the NMSP was a member of the ruling coalition. At the July 2009 elections, however, the party won no seats in Parliament, which led to Saxe-Coburg resigning from his post as party leader.
The President of the European Council will have a two-and-a-half year term, renewable once, replacing the current system where countries take turns at being president for six months.
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Bulgaria's ex-king and PM - a good candidate for president of European Council
Former Bulgarian prime minister and ex-king Simeon Saxe-Cobourg could bring a unique and rich experience to the European Union as president of European Council, Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, told reporters in Bulgaria on March 31 2008. Watson came to visit Saxe-Coburg's party National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP), which is a member in the liberal alliance.
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I entirely agree with Jon Mills; Simeon genuinely would be a good President with appeal to all sides. Also the post does need a certain amount of "monarchic" skills in being nice to everybody in power whilst retaining one's own critical judgment in private.
In addition, he would get along with all Europe's remaining royal families, to every one of which he is distantly related by virtue of his Saxe-Coburg royal blood. I am sure he would be welcomed by Our Own Dear Queen.
When I read the headline I nearly fell off my chair laughing! King Simeon for President of the EU!! But then I got to thinking, and realised that the idea of a man who is a poor politician, a lousy public speaker and alleged to be corrupt would be an ideal figurehead for the corrupt, double-speaking political quagmire that is the EU. It would be interesting if he were to be put up against Saint Tony of Blair, whose attributes are the opposite of Simeon's (apart, possibly, from the corruption).
Maybe Solomon Passy had his tongue [...]
Read the full comment in his cheek when he made the suggestion, but nonetheless, respeck to 'im (as the Yoof would say).
I think he'd be a wonderful choce.
I think he would be an excellent choice. Within the larger arena of the EU, he would combine experience of east and west europe; monarchies and republics; professional politicians and those who simply serve for their nations.
He should be acceptable to most sides of the EU political spectrum and remind the union that the 'new'nations have as much to say as the 'old'.
I must admit that, as a Brit, I still quite like the idea of Simeon Saxe-Coburg as EU President.
On our side we have Tony Blair, who THINKS he is a king. On the Bulgarian side we have Simeon, who IS a King.
Nice one, Bulgaria.