Bulgarians set to turn to their king

Oppressed for decades by drab communists and suffering now from the belt-tightening of their centre-right leaders, Bulgarians look ready to turn to royalty on Sunday when they elect a new parliament.

A new party led by Bulgaria’s ex-king, Simeon II, has taken a comfortable lead in opinion polls even though the former monarch back after five decades in exile has refused to say whether he would deign to become prime minister.