Election26: Alexander Riabov Running for Kosice Mayor as Independent Candidate

Kosice, 22 July (TASR) - Lawyer, economist and activist Alexander Riabov will run as an independent candidate for the post of Kosice mayor, he told journalists on Wednesday, adding that he has already started collecting the required number of signatures from voters. "Today, Kosice doesn't need empty promises about megalomaniac projects. What the city needs is safety, order and common sense," said Riabov, noting that he is not backed by politicians or marketing teams, but by ordinary people whose problems he wants to address. In Kosice, Riabov became known as a co-organiser of a protest rally against progressivism in November 2025 and for organising a petition for the preservation and increased protection of the WWII memorial to fallen Soviet soldiers on Namestie osloboditelov (Liberators' Square) in Kosice. His candidacy is also based on this petition, which gathered 10,000 signatures. Riabov described himself as a "proud Slovak with Russian roots". He has also held various management positions in both the private and public sectors. "I promise the residents of Kosice that I will make the city centre and Hlavna Street a safe and cultivated environment," he said, adding that he will also strive to eliminate hotspots of vandalism in residential and high-traffic areas where people currently do not feel safe. He also pointed to the need to address homelessness. "Only once we do our homework in terms of the basic criteria required for a functioning city can we start dreaming about all those megalomaniac projects, such as water parks," he said, adding that he also wants to win the support of Kosice residents who feel that almost no one represents them in the city council or city leadership. The opening speech to Riabov's candidacy announcement was delivered by Jan Dianiska, chairman of the Kosice regional committee of the Slovak Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters, who praised Riabov's efforts to protect war memorials in Kosice and Presov and presented him with an award. Riabov has been a member of the TASR board of directors since May 2024, when he was elected to the position by Parliament. He confirmed that he will remain in this post during the election campaign as well. "The position and options available to a board member are clearly defined by law," he said, noting that this is not the first time a member of the TASR board of directors has run for mayor. In addition to Riabov, the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party's candidate Martin Mudrak will also run for the mayoral post with the backing of the Democrats and 'For the People' parties. Ladislav Lorinc, the current mayor of the Kosice borough of Sidlisko KVP, has already announced his candidacy for Kosice mayor on behalf of the Kosice Party. Lenka Kovacevicova, the current mayor of Kosice's 'Nad Jazerom' borough, is also standing. Jaroslav Polacek, who is serving his second term as Kosice mayor, will run for re-election with the support of a coalition of six parties, including the Christian Democrats (KDH), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Nova, the Hungarian Alliance, the Roma Coalition Party, and DS-ODS. Meanwhile, Miroslav Sabol will run as an independent candidate. Combined elections for municipal authorities and regional self-government authorities are scheduled to take place on 24 October. jrg