Former Bulgarian king Simeon II faces tough coalition talks Monday after early election results showed his party sweeping to power 55 years after he was forced into exile after World War II. The 64-year-old former monarch, who has spent most of his life as a successful businesman in Spain, pledged a new start for Bulgaria after his National Movement Simeon II (NMS) had secured 45 percent of the popular vote in legislative polls Sunday, with more than half the votes tallied. His role in the future government remained unclear, as he did not personally stand for election. "Bulgaria is no longer the same, we are embarking on a spiritual and economic renaissance," he said after his party's election victory became clear. Based on the partial results, Simeon's party will not be able to form an absolute majority. In concrete political terms, he opened the door to forming a coalition with parties "which share the main ideas of my programme," but admitted that negotiations for such an alliance may be complicated. "We will holds talks as required and they will not be easy," he said. Simeon's movement won some 45.36 percent of Sunday's vote - according to official results released with 50 percent of all votes counted - against some 19.33 percent for outgoing Prime Minister Ivan Kostov's United Democratic Forces (UDF). Born into the royal house of Saxe-Coburg and related to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Simeon has promised to revive his impoverished country's fortunes within 800 days. Kostov, who took office in 1997, after Bulgaria had stagnated for much of the 1990s, is widely credited by Western governments with having turned the country around, allowing it to begin EU entry talks last year.

France Presse: Comeback king hints at terms of coalition. Bulgaria was left in political limbo yesterday after King Simeon II's poll victory, which produced a clear winner but no immediate indication of how he and his movement will govern. The 64-year-old former monarch maintained a tight-lipped silence over whether he himself will become prime minister after his crushing win, while leaving all options open on a coalition deal. 'We will hold talks as required and they will not be easy,' he said after Sunday's election, repeatedly avoiding questions about his own political role. 'We are not talking about my political future,' he said. With more than 99 per cent of the votes counted, his National Movement Simeon II (NMS II) appeared to have won 120 seats in the 240-member parliament - only just failing to secure an absolute majority. The former king said he was ready to form a coalition with anyone 'who shares the ideas of stable economic growth, of accelerating progress towards joining the EU and NATO, and of clamping down on corruption in the country'. Most analysts assume this to mean the centre-right United Democratic Forces (UDF) of the outgoing prime minister, Mr Ivan Kostov, or the Turkish-minority Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MDL). Mr Plamen Panayotov, secretary of NMS II, let it be known that Simeon would not be negotiating with the former communist Socialist Party (PSB), which has alternated in power with the UDF since the collapse of communism in Bulgaria. Sofia's mayor, Mr Stefan Sofiyanski, a UDF member tipped by some Bulgarian commentators as a possible next prime minister, said: 'Society expects a coalition and we must accept the invitation to take part.' The political analyst Mr Evgeni Dainov said he feared the election result would lead to 'an unstable government and a mixed parliament' which could lead to early new elections. 'Most Bulgarians decided to run away from problems. If Simeon II doesn't deliver on his promises, voters will be disappointed. If he does deliver, he will cause an economic collapse,' he said. The former king has promised an increase in pensions and public-sector wages, as well as interest-free loans for small businesses. Critics, including Mr Kostov, have criticised the pledges as unrealistic. During celebrations following the ex-king's victory, Princes Kardam, Cyril, Kubrat and Constantin Assen of Saxe Coburg lined up with their wives as Simeon II faced the press. But there was a notable absentee - his youngest daughter, the reportedly rebellious Princess Kalina, who was said to be sailing off Morocco.