The opposition has no right to seek political gain from the tragic accident on the Trakia motorway. This was stated by the leader of Republicans for Bulgaria and former Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov during the Metronome programme on FOCUS Radio.
The serious chain collisions occurred on November 10 in dense fog. A total of 86 vehicles were involved, and the number of fatalities reached 13. The investigation is ongoing, and as of November 14, investigators said that there was still no leading theory about the causes and that the case could end without anyone being charged.
“The political PR that is generated from every tragedy does not solve problems. We are in this situation because of this political confrontation,” Tsvetanov said.
Call for an audit of the Road Safety Fund
According to Tsvetanov, every leadership of the Ministry of Interior should be able to use the funds from the Road Safety Fund for genuine preventive activities. He said that the fund was not being used for its intended purpose.
“I suspect that the money paid into it by offenders is being spent on other areas and activities that have nothing to do with prevention,” said the leader of Republicans for Bulgaria.
Tsvetanov proposed that the National Assembly establish an inquiry commission to examine how the fund's resources are being spent and what policies have been pursued to reduce the number of road deaths.
Tsvetanov: Speed must be adjusted to the conditions
The former interior minister said that drivers should reduce their speed in poor visibility and adverse weather conditions instead of travelling at the maximum permitted speed.
In his words, Bulgaria's road safety policies do not meet the best practices in developed European countries. “In Bulgaria, we are best at strategies, but what are the actual actions we are taking to limit the war on the roads?” Tsvetanov asked.
At the end of the interview, he also commented on preparations for the local elections. Tsvetanov said that former mayors had approached him, whom he believes were “betrayed and sold out” by Boyko Borissov in 2023. He predicted that in the next local elections, Borissov would not be able to rely on more than two or three regional mayors.