Regional minister Ivan Shishkov is using crisis PR to hide questions for prosecutors about suspect schemes to inflate the cost of guardrail contracts, the DPS party says. It made the claim in a statement from its press office.

DPS says the questions concern schemes that hurt economic interests, and that the minister is clumsily trying to "sweep them under the carpet".

Shishkov rejected the accusations earlier the same day. The party claims that guardrails are being installed without a contract and that the head of the state road company Avtomagistrali resigned under pressure. The minister says the accusations come from economic interests harmed when a public tender worth 1bn was halted.

Shishkov says the tenders for the earlier contracts, which cover the country's six regions, were held under the government of Kiril Petkov. He added that three of them were raised by more than the permitted 50%, and that annexes were signed with the contractors in 2024, 2025 and early 2026.

The DPS statement says: "It is clear that the only interests that have been hurt are those of Shishkov and the party leadership of 'Progressive Bulgaria'." The party claims they are frantically trying to take control of all public money.

DPS also says the contracts Shishkov signed years ago are being ended so they can be signed again with firms close to him, at higher prices. The party wants the guardrails to be built and road safety to be guaranteed in the way that is safest for people. It says it will keep gathering information and will alert the relevant authorities.

DPS wants Shishkov, finance minister Galab Donev and interior minister Ivan Demerdzhiev to come to parliament and answer for what they have done and failed to do.