In the 2026 municipal elections, thirteen candidates in the village of Řídeč in the Olomouc area stood on separate lists, because local residents, after long-standing disagreements, did not agree on a joint list.
In the 2026 municipal elections, thirteen candidates stood in the village of Řídeč in the Šternberk area of the Olomouc Region, each of whom submitted a separate candidate list. The village has almost 200 inhabitants, and the number of lists exceeded that of Olomouc and all other towns and villages in the Olomouc area [1][2]. Voters chose seven members of the council on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October 2026 [1][2].
Reasons for the separate candidacies
According to mayor Jaroslav Míča (Společná Řídeč), the decision is linked to long-standing disagreements among some residents. In several earlier elections in the village, joint lists were put together, but according to the mayor they did not work well. Those interested in a seat therefore agreed that this year each would stand on their own [1][2].
Five candidates went into the election four years ago on the Společná Řídeč list; the other eight did not appear on it then [1][2].
The council in the past term
The mayor said that the start of the term was already unsettled. In autumn 2022 one female council member gave up her seat before the inaugural meeting and a substitute took her place, so the council began work with seven members. In October 2023 another female member resigned, which according to the mayor was connected with the tense situation in the village, and in 2025 another member resigned. The vacant seats were no longer filled by substitutes and the council worked with five members [1][2].
According to the mayor, the disputes left a mark on village life. The local affairs committee resigned, which showed in the cultural and social events that the remaining council members kept going with the help of members of the volunteer fire brigade [1][2].
Rules of candidacy
The law allows individuals to stand in municipal elections by submitting their own candidate list. An independent candidate must attach a petition with signatures; in municipalities of up to 500 voters this requires the support of five percent of their number. In Řídeč, voters could mark at most seven of the thirteen candidates [1][2].
Related articles: Olomouc Region
Chronology
- — In one municipality in the Olomouc Region, thirteen single-candidate lists stood in the municipal elections owing to disagreements. Deník: Olomoucký kraj iDNES.cz
Pages linking here
Sources
- Deník: Olomoucký kraj — 9 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 9 October 2026