Slovakia and Czech Republic prepare for municipal and Senate elections

Municipal and Senate elections in Slovakia and the Czech Republic are approaching, triggering significant political shifts and media developments.

In Bratislava, the mayoral race has intensified following Martin Winkler’s withdrawal from the candidacy in favor of Jozef Ráža. Current Mayor Matúš Vallo criticized the move, suggesting it prioritizes political maneuvering over the city's interests. Betting odds have shifted accordingly, with Ráža emerging as a stronger challenger to Vallo.

In Prešov, incumbent Mayor František Oľha remains the heavy favorite according to betting analysts, maintaining a lead over challengers Pavel Hagyari and Rastislav Mochnacký. Meanwhile, in Košice, candidate Lenka Kovačevičová has raised concerns regarding media fairness after being removed from a scheduled debate by the portal 360-tka.

In the Czech Republic, major media outlets including ČT, Český rozhlas, Nova, and Prima have announced they will not publish exit polls for the upcoming municipal and Senate elections. They cite the complexity of the various voting systems and the high number of candidates as making representative immediate modeling impossible. Instead, they will rely on real-time data from the Czech Statistical Office.