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.

"I would be very pleased to see a liberal become the new president of the European Council," Watson said, as quoted by mediapool.bg. "If the new president came from one of the recently joined countries, the EU would have gained a lot in terms of integrity," he said.

Watson refused to estimate Saxe-Coburg's chances of being elected for the post.

Talks about Saxe-Cobourg's candidacy started two weeks ago when NMSP's spokesperson Stanimir Ilchev said that Bulgaria had to come forward with one strong candidacy for the post and Saxe-Coburg would be a suitable candidacy. European Integration Minister Gergana Grancharova, who is a member of NMSP, also said that Saxe-Coburg's candidacy was discussed on top EU level.

Saxe-Coburg himself has not yet made a comment on the issue. 

The post of president of European Council is provided in the Lisbon Treaty that was drawn up to replace the draft European constitution after it was thrown out by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005. The treaty, which was originally called the Reform Treaty, was signed in Lisbon in December 2007. It will enter into force in January 2009, but only if all countries ratify it by the end of this year.

The president of the European Council will have a two-and-a-half years term, replacing the current system where countries take turns at being president for six months.

If just one of the EU's 27 member states does not approve the treaty, it cannot come into force, but as of April 1 2008, all but one of the EU's member states started procedures for ratifying it. Ireland is the only EU country to hold a referendum on the issue, which will take place in late May or early June 2008. Bulgaria was the sixth country to ratify the treaty on March 21 2008.