Bratislava Mayor Vallo Unveils Election Vision: 'Bratislava is Our Home'

Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo, alongside candidates from his municipal party Team Bratislava, unveiled a comprehensive program for the upcoming autumn local elections titled "Bratislava is Our Home." Vallo declared that after eight years, Bratislava has transformed from a city in critical condition into a confident, functioning European metropolis, now looking to the future with ambition.

"We no longer just want to catch up with cities we have long looked up to and that inspired us. We want to be among the best. And this is our commitment for the next four years," Vallo stated. The program prioritizes public transportation, aiming for tram stops to be accessible within 500 meters for 41% of residents by 2030 and 60% by 2040. This includes expanding tram and trolleybus lines and building new park-and-ride facilities.

Parking is another key focus, with plans to extend the PAAS regulated parking zones to all necessary areas by 2030, adding five new zones annually. Hundreds of parking spaces will also be created in four new parking garages. The city aims to reduce its debt to 40% by 2030, emphasizing its reliability as a partner.

The program also addresses affordable housing, proposing the conversion of old private office buildings into approximately 9,800 apartments and the development of new municipal rental housing to add another 700 units. Significant investment is planned for public spaces, including the renovation of Kamenné námestie and the completion of the Staromestská Plateau project. Furthermore, the city plans to prepare and implement 20 more public spaces by 2030 and invest in sports infrastructure, including new cycling paths and a municipal sports complex.

Other initiatives include replacing all public lighting by 2027, increasing the police force by 30%, and doubling the area managed by the Municipal Forests, primarily focusing on forests in Devínska Kobyla and floodplain forests.

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From Bratislava as a patient in critical condition, it has become a self-confident, functioning European metropolis after eight years. Today, it is not just a city catching up on what it missed and dealing with past traumas. On the contrary, today we look to the future with much greater self-confidence and certainty. We no longer just want to catch up with cities we have long looked up to and that inspired us. We want to be among the best. And this is our commitment for the next four years.