In local and regional elections in Slovakia, foreign nationals with residence permits can vote. As a build-up to these elections, slated for 24 October 2026, Ben Pascoe met with some of the candidates running for mayor of the Slovak capital, Bratislava. Patrícia Polakovičová introduces a new musical project bringing together one of Slovakia’s most prominent poets, Ivan Štrpka, and the jazz musicians of Altar Quartet. Veronika Ščepánová marks the 280th anniversary of the birth of Móric Beňovský, a glamorous 18th-century soldier, traveller and author.