Local and regional elections begin in Slovakia — RMF24
Local and regional elections have begun in Slovakia. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. and will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Voters are electing mayors and village heads, members of city and municipal councils, as well as heads and deputies of eight self-governing regions. As RMF24 reports, unofficial results are expected on the morning of the following day.
Testing support for the coalition
Local and regional elections are being held simultaneously for the second time in the country's history. In Bratislava and Košice, voting also covers city districts.
The vote is considered the final test of the popularity of Prime Minister Robert Fico's governing coalition before parliamentary elections scheduled for the autumn of next year. The coalition includes the Smer-SSD, Hlas and Slovak National Party parties. Support for its candidates may be affected by the government's recent austerity measures, the rising cost of living, young people's difficulties accessing housing, and policy toward the Roma minority.
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Competition in Bratislava and the south of the country
One of the key contests is the election of Bratislava's mayor. Incumbent mayor Matúš Vallo is seeking another term with support from, among others, the opposition parties Progressive Slovakia and Freedom and Solidarity. His main rival is Transport Minister Jozef Ráž, who is supported by the governing coalition parties.
The elections are also a test of cooperation between coalition forces and the extra-parliamentary far-right Republic party, led by European Parliament member Milan Uhrík. According to polls, the party, which did not clear the five-percent threshold in the 2023 elections, can now count on support in the low teens.
The vote is of particular importance in southern Slovakia, where a large Hungarian minority lives. In Dunajská Streda, incumbent mayor Zoltán Hájos of Alliance is competing against Tomáš Miško, who is backed by a coalition of five political forces. No exit polls are being conducted in these elections: after polling stations close, preliminary results will be published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic.
