Bulgaria - Rise to power

In one sense, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born into power, becoming King Simeon II in 1943. Throughout his decades in exile he regarded himself as the rightful king of Bulgaria; however, he chose to reestablish his right to rule through legitimate, popular election rather than launching an attempt to regain his throne through a restored monarchy. No other exiled monarch has even achieved such a feat.

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha only returned to Bulgaria in 1996, after the fall of communism. He immediately made himself a conspicuous public figure and spoke of the need for Bulgaria to regain a stronger feeling of national identity. The populace responded enthusiastically, making him a celebrity and making it feasible for him to form alliances (most important, with the Turkish MRF) in support of his SNM party. It took only three months from the time of the SNM's formation to win the general election in 2001.