Nikolay Popov announced the creation of the “Siyanie” political party, which will be named after his daughter Siyana, who died in a road accident. Appearing on “Na fokus”, he said the decision was the result of lengthy work by the civic movement he leads, rather than a spontaneous reaction.
“This was not the reason, but perhaps one of the catalysts for announcing it now, because this is not a spontaneous decision,” Popov said in connection with the serious accident on the Trakia Motorway, in which 13 people died.
Shortly before the incident, Popov conducted a poll on his social media profile. According to the data he presented, the post reached nearly 200,000 people, while around 6,500 took part in the vote. Almost 98% of them supported turning the civic movement into a political party.
Road safety will be the main priority
Popov described the future formation as a specialised political project. Its main focus will be road safety, while other priorities include healthcare and the judicial system.
He also cited cuts to funding for personal assistants, as well as the dispute surrounding the forensic report in the case concerning Siyana’s death, as reasons for taking the political step. Popov described the report as inaccurate and criticised the expert who, according to him, had also taken part in other cases involving serious road accidents.
According to him, civic organisations do not have sufficient tools to bring about change, while institutions often refuse to work with them so as not to grant them political legitimacy.
Popov denies a political partner is behind the project
The civic movement has already taken part in parliamentary elections as part of a coalition and received around 3% of the vote, Popov said. He stated that support for the project came from people with different political views and social backgrounds.
Popov categorically denied that a political partner was behind the future party. He said he was ready to talk to any formation that supported the cause of road safety, but would not compromise on his principles.
“This cause transcends party politics. All parties should unite around it because it concerns the lives of our children and Bulgarian citizens,” he said.
Popov recalled that he had been a member of GERB, but left the party in 2023. He cited a change in the formation’s political conduct and the growing influence of Delyan Peevski as the reason.
Proposal to change the Road Safety Agency
According to Popov, serious road accidents are the result of systemic shortcomings and a lack of effective coordination between institutions. He pointed out that driver behaviour was among the main causes of accidents, but the state must ensure oversight and penalties for repeat offenders.
Popov proposed that the State Agency “Road Traffic Safety” be transformed into a coordinating body with supervisory powers and take part in the analysis of every serious road accident.
He also announced that the movement had collected 43,000 signatures in the case of Hristina, who died in an ATV accident. According to him, the campaign contributed to the suspect remaining in custody.
The core of the future formation numbers between 100 and 200 people, while nearly 3,000 people are involved in building local structures across the country. Popov said that many of them were parents and volunteers.
“There is no way I can betray my daughter’s memory. To be corrupted by the political system would mean betraying Siyana’s memory,” Nikolay Popov said.
Sources: nova.bg