Introduction

Edited by Georgi Filipov (AIM Sofia)

Introduction

Prince, emperor, king - no matter how he is called in different countries of the Balkan, he is the personification of monarchy. What links the countries of the region is that at one moment of history they rejected monarchy because different forms of dictatorship took over power in them after the Second World War. In the period of post-communist crises all the countries of the Balkan were also confronted with the more or less the same dilemma - monarchy or republic? This dilemma is not a pure coincidence - it is connected with the indestructible wish of former monarchs to participate in ruling Balkan countries. For a long time all of them lived abroad with the hope that some day they would return in order to be decision-makers in their former kingdoms.

Monarchy or republic? Is that question really topical? Does not it in fact include another question: should I return and participate in the rule or remain on the sidelines? Bulgarian emperor Simeon II Saksoburgotski has resolved this question. He created a coalition with which he participated in parliamentary elections in June and won almost 44 per cent of the votes. Now he is in a dilemma how to continue his participation in political life in accordance with the Republican Constitution - whether to become the prime minister, to head for the post of the president or something else. The latter, re-establishment of monarchy, seems to be a completely imaginary, unrealistic goal. It seems that even Simeon II himself is aware of that. He has accepted the republican rules of the game in the name of the idea of united Bulgarian people, in the name of a more successful future. Whether he should participate in the parliamentary life of the Republic is a question that will also have to be resolved by Albanian king Leka, since the dilemma monarchy or republic was decided there by referendum, too. Montenegrin heir to the throne, prince Nikola Petrovic has announced a similar intention, claiming that he is a sworn republican. As concerning prince Aleksandar, he declares that he will not open the question on monarchist future of the Balkan. However, have they settled for the idea that the future will be resolved without their participation?