"I would like to see a prosperous Bulgarian society. I believe that this is not an impossible goal with today's technologies, but we all need something to motivate us. Let's hope that we will see this change sooner, not in three or four generations," he said in the public radio videocast "Speaking..." dedicated to the legacy of his father, King Boris III, known to Bulgarians as the Unifier. On 30 January 2025, the 131st anniversary of the monarch's birth, we will release a special publication in which Simeon II will share his personal memories of his father.

While the former Prime Minister has always avoided commenting on individuals or processes in Bulgaria, the words of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in his exclusive interview for BNR deserve attention beyond the regular news cycle, especially in the context of the need for new national goals. We recall that under the two governments in which the party he founded, the NDSV, participated, Bulgaria achieved two of its priorities - accession to NATO and the EU.

"We will survive, we have our place in the European Union, which is an additional guarantee for the survival of our country. So I am not worried, these difficulties are fleeting moments and of course it is hard to go through them. I think we could have achieved a lot more here in these more than 30 years if we had been united," he said.

In an interview with BNR, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha stressed that in addition to the natural resources that Bulgaria possesses, there is another, more valuable asset - the young and studious Bulgarians who, with their skills, bring honour to our country in the eyes of the world.

"If I have to say where we are on the world map, Bulgaria's situation is specific in that we have all sorts of alternatives and perspectives, and the people themselves are of a higher standard, above average compared to many other countries I've lived in and seen. We are specialists and self-flagellating, but if you look around and see the results of our young people who study abroad on different programmes, it is phenomenal to see the results they come back with. I think we are much richer in that respect than we realise, because there is a certain tendency in this country towards self-deprecation, which is quite peculiar, but it is there," the former Prime Minister concluded.

And the idea of unity is not new, but it remains just as relevant. Back in 2014, at the launch of his autobiographical book An Extraordinary Destiny, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha encouraged Bulgarian society to find something to unite around:

"I remember that when Poland was going through difficult times, there was a single word that brought society to life and mobilised everyone. It was 'solidarity' and we all know what it achieved. It would be great if we all reflected on this and together found the word that would unite us, the Bulgarians," says Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in a recording preserved in the archives of Bulgarian National Radio.

What that unifying word for Bulgaria will be, and whether we will be able to change our perception of what is happening in the country, depends on us, the people - not so much on the politicians.

Interview by Zlatko Zhelev

Text: Yoan Kolev