Bratislava mayoral candidate Martin Winkler faces campaign and legal scrutiny

Bratislava mayoral candidate Martin Winkler is facing scrutiny over campaign financing and municipal legal disputes. Winkler recently underwent a polygraph test to address allegations made by candidate Zuzana Šubová, who claimed his campaign was funded by businessman Zoroslav Kollár. While Winkler released documentation stating the test showed ‘no signs of deceptive behavior’ and denied receiving funds from Kollár or oligarchs, a leaked recording suggests a different narrative. In the recording, Winkler reportedly admitted that funds from Kollár helped his campaign during its early stages for a few months.

Separately, Winkler has raised concerns regarding a criminal complaint filed by the former administrator of Transprojekt. The complaint alleges potential misconduct, manipulation of insolvency proceedings, and coordinated efforts by certain individuals to illegally enrich themselves. The dispute involves a stalled reconstruction project for the Main Station and Station Square, which led to a lawsuit against the city for approximately 17 million euros. Winkler has questioned why the city has not accepted a full recovery of certain debts owed to it, noting potential damages could reach 10 million euros.