The Institute for Road Safety (IPB) warns of a critical turning point on Bulgarian roads: "As of May 31, 2026, the black statistics reported 168 deaths (25 more than in the same period in 2025) and 2,841 seriously injured.
For the last month of May alone, the number of corpses on the road is 7 more – the bloodiest month since the beginning of the year. These figures are a direct legacy of the systemic failure and inadequate legislative, penal and infrastructure measures of the "Zhelyazkov" cabinet. The government of Rosen Zhelyazkov was officially warned by the IPB that its policies will only bring new victims – a prediction that is confirmed today with blood."
Here's what the IPB adds:
It's time for a difference.
The new government has been in power for nearly a month. It is completely clear that it is not the author of this chaos. But it is equally clear that so far the new government has shown only one thing: a dangerous calm before failure.
They declared road safety their priority, but so far this intention has not been supported by a single concrete action. Instead of reforms, we hear the well-known and worn-out cliché of the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev that “the police are being pulled out of the bushes“.
It is precisely with these phrases and this empty PR that a series of governments have failed before. Reality proves that police control in itself is useless.
The vicious 12-month cycle of Bulgarian politics:
Bulgaria is hostage to an absurd and recurring pattern:
1. Institutions sleep while statistics quietly grow.
2. A major catastrophe occurs with a large public resonance (a journalist, politician, child or mass tragedy dies).
3. The state imitates activity - extraordinary measures, showy inspections and noisy repression in front of the cameras.
4. Public pressure weakens and everything returns to the status quo.
This cycle repeats itself every 12 to 18 months. If the new government continues on the beaten path of its predecessors, the next major road tragedy is a matter of weeks.
The IPB Challenge:
Bulgaria does not need another government that promises and then backs down. We need a leader who will stop the war on the roads with real actions, not slogans.
The opportunity for change is entirely in the hands of Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
We expect action.