Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo. (source: Marko Erd)
At a recent Slovensko je Európa (Slovakia is Europe) protest, Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo condemned PM Robert Fico's visit to Moscow. However, as a mayor, he is dependent on cooperation with his government. Nevertheless, there were moments such as during the floods last September, when politics were pushed aside and he found a partner in Fico.
"The day before the highest water level, he asked us an absolutely precise question: Can the state help you in any way? We laid out the facts, forgetting certain political lines. I will continue to strive for this, because there is no other option," Vallo says.
What you will learn in this interview:
What does the city do to prevent attacks on vulnerable groups,
what the city is doing to solve housing issues,
how he can cooperate with PM Robert Fico,
whether the conflict regarding the cycling path on the embankment has been resolved,
whether the city can do anything when the Culture Ministry is destroying cultural institutions.
Are you or your loved ones not afraid to walk in the city centre after dark?
I'm not, I often walk around Bratislava after dark. Despite the fact that Bratislava is and remains one of the safest EU cities, I understand that the sense of safety may have deteriorated in recent months. The chaos that the ruling government is creating, the tough words of our politicians, the aggression on social media manifested on the streets, and this doesn't just apply to Bratislava. I've been hearing from those around me that people have a shorter fuse and that there are more conflicts in public spaces. We must not forget that the amendment to the Penal Code has led to an increase in the number of petty thefts of goods from shops, as evidenced by such goods being pawned.
It was only after media broke the story about a masked gang running rampant that the police reacted. However, they did not communicate enough information to citizens, so people told each other on social media which places to avoid, how to defend themselves, and the like. Was the communication between the city and the police any better?
We experienced such gangs in the city in the 1990s and we never want to experience them again. The city police learned about the gang from the media, it was very similar for the state police. Very soon after that the regional state police directorate assured me that they were taking the matter very seriously. It was also clear that they were much further in the investigation than they were willing to admit.
Three weeks ago, a homeless man died as a result of a beating near the Nivy shopping centre. The police suspects private security company (SBS) members. As mayor, are you willing to use your authority and put pressure on the private sector to treat all citizens with equal dignity?
It's absolutely fundamental for us that Bratislava also take care of the most vulnerable who are forgotten in these trying times, whether they are women, girls, members of cultural minorities or homeless people. The municipality has now a social affairs department with enough staff that, in addition to helping homeless people, also focus on youth, who are part of the problem around Nivy. We also have very good relations with organisations that help homeless people, without which the city would not be able to function. My colleagues also communicate with the city police head, as we have received tips that the Nivy SBS behaves inappropriately towards homeless people. However, it must be said that neither we as a city nor the city police have the authority to check on the activities of any SBS and this competence belongs exclusively to the state police. This is not the first time we received tips that an SBS has cracked down hard on someone, not just members of minorities and homeless people.
As for Nivy, do you have any concrete solutions? The Vagus organisation has proposed, for example, heated tents so that homeless people do not have to go to shopping centres to warm up.
We have activated the winter protocol and a transport service for homeless people to get them to warm and safe places where they can spend the night during cold weather. We have built a winter emergency shelter consisting of heated tents, which is intended for regular clients of the Depaul shelter. We have trained the city police on how to communicate with homeless people, and, if necessary, provide them with a sleeping bag or a sleeping mat which can ensure their survival during the cold nights.
Affordable housing is one way to take care of homeless people. Is building apartments for low- and moderate-income groups a priority for the city?
Housing development is one of my key topics, which is why the housing department was established and we presented the Concept of the City Housing Policy 2020 - 2030. Bratislava currently has approximately 860 apartments, too few for us to be able to solve the problem. The waiting period is approximately seven years. However, we have taken steps to obtain more. In a few months, the city will have an additional 103 rental apartments, the first city apartments built in the last decades. Moreover, in the coming years, thanks to several projects, the city see a 50 percent increase in the city apartment numbers.
Robert Fico's government sees you as an ally of the party Progressive Slovakia (PS), which he considers to be his main political opponent. Do you think the city suffers from this?
