The 2026 Czech municipal elections are elections to municipal councils, borough and district councils in statutory cities, and to the council of the Capital City of Prague and the councils of its municipal districts, held concurrently with elections to the Senate of the Czech Republic. The date was set for Friday, 9 October, and Saturday, 10 October 2026[1].
Calling of the Elections
On 26 June 2026, the President of the Republic, acting in accordance with the Constitution of the Czech Republic, the Act on Elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the Act on Elections to Municipal Councils and the Act on the Capital City of Prague, decided to call elections to the Senate, to municipal councils and to borough and district councils in statutory cities, and to the council of the Capital City of Prague and the councils of its municipal districts[1]. He set the election days as Friday, 9 October, and Saturday, 10 October 2026[1]. The decision was sent for countersignature to the Prime Minister, and the elections will be formally called upon publication of the decision in the Collection of Laws and International Treaties[1].
Overlap with Local Referendums
The Ministry of the Interior recorded 39 local referendums scheduled for the same dates as the municipal elections[2]. Most frequently, in twenty-one municipalities, the referendums concerned the future of wind turbines; in three municipalities the subject was waste incinerators, while elsewhere the issue was the takeover of a church building or the expansion of a farm park[2].
Elections in Prague
The elections also include the election of the council of the Capital City of Prague and the councils of its municipal districts[1]. Czech Television broadcast a pre-election debate among candidates for Prague mayor; because of equal electoral potential in seventh to tenth place, it invited representatives of ten groupings. The invitation was accepted by Petr Hlaváček (Mayors and Independents), Jan Hušbauer (ANO), Václav Láska (SEN pro Prahu), Tereza Nislerová (Czech Pirate Party), Tomáš Portlík (SPOLU pro Prahu – ODS, TOP 09), Adam Scheinherr (Praha sobě, supported by KDU-ČSL and the Greens), Klára Sovová (Motoristé sobě), Milan Urban (SPD pro Prahu – supported by Trikolora, PRO, Přísaha and NK) and Jiří Vítek (Patrioti pro Prahu). The invitation was declined by DSZ – Za práva zvířat and NK[3].
According to the Kantar agency, cited by Czech Television, the SPOLU pro Prahu coalition (ODS and TOP 09) had the highest electoral potential in the capital, closely followed by the STAN movement[4]. More than three-quarters of Prague residents considered the unavailability and price of housing to be a major problem for the city, and 71 percent of residents viewed car traffic as a significant problem[4]. Among the measures that, according to Prague residents, could help improve housing affordability, the construction of municipal flats had the highest support[4].
Participation of the President
According to a statement from the communications department of the Office of the President of the Republic, President Petr Pavel did not take part in voting in the municipal council election in Černouček in the Litoměřice region because of a private trip abroad. The Office added that the President regretted the scheduling mistake[5].
Related articles: Alena Schillerová, Czech National Bank
Chronology
- — From the start of October, the Czech National Bank, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, has been offering municipalities and regions a savings account in the state treasury yielding 3.7 percent annually with immediate access to the deposited money. Seznam Zprávy iDNES.cz