King for history books for more than fifty years, declared enemy of the enemy when the Communists took power in Bulgaria until 1989, Mr. Simeon is, since last Sunday, when his "National Movement Simeon II" captured 120 out of Bulgaria’s Parliament 240 seats, became the first exiled Monarch not only to have returned to his native homeland, but also play an important political role.

"This is a very interesting development, probably a first step to the return of Monarchy to Bulgaria", commented Mr. Dariush Homayoon, a former Information Minister now an adviser to Mr. Reza Pahlavi, the 40 years-old son of the Iranian King toppled in the Islamic revolution of 1979.

Though King Simeon II had made it clear that he would not seek the return of the Monarchy, yet his successful bid at the elections give new hopes to other Monarchists, particularly the Iranians, who lived under Monarchy for more than 2.500 years.

Educated in Madrid, where he lived ever since he had been exiled there with his sister and mother in 1946, Simeon II had took oath to the Crown of Bulgaria at the age of 18, stating that he had "never renounced" to his rights to the Throne.

Married in 1962 to a wealthy Spanish aristocrat, Ms. Margarita Gomez-Acebo y Cejeula, Simeon II with whom he had four sons and one girl, all helping him to win the elections, had returned for the first time to Sofia in 1996, exactly fifty years after his departure.

"The victory of Simeon in Bulgaria and the synergy created between him and his people after fifty years will give a new boost to the cause of Monarchists in Iran", he noted during an interview from Geneva.

Though Simeon II ultimate intentions are not clear, probably because he has not made his mind, yet, his reflexes and his attitude vis-à-vis politics are all of a Monarch, the French daily "Le Monde" observed.

Writing in the internet site "Iran Emrooz" (Today’s Iran) based in Germany, Mr. Sa’id Shervini, an Iranian analyst, said the case of the former Bulgarian King could be a "good example for both the Iranian Monarchists and their leader, the son of the former Iranian Monarch by not insisting on maximalist conditions, "meaning the return of Monarchy to Iran but struggling for a secular and democratic Iran".

"Iranian Monarchists could guaranty better their political future by siding with all other Iranian secular forces fighting for a secular and democratic Iran instead of a return to the past system. Simeon II has learned that history’s lesson. Would our Monarchists have the same maturity?, he wrote.

Mr. Homayun also hoped that the example of Simeon II would serve as an example to all Iranians, Monarchists or Republicans, even Isamists, to strive together for a better Iran where "all Iranians are equal"