VIDEO // Citizens’ Assembly on local public administration reform held in Chișinău

A new edition of the Citizens’ Assembly is being held today and tomorrow in the Parliament. During the event, 50 citizens from across the country will be consulted and will formulate recommendations on the reform of local public administration (LPA).

The event takes place in two stages, on 16–17 May and 30–31 May this year, and is organized by the Parliament in cooperation with the European Partnership for Democracy and the Center for Policies and Reforms.

At the opening of the event, Speaker Igor Grosu said that the reform of local public administration is a very important topic that must be discussed together with citizens in order to better reflect the needs of communities.

“The reform of local public administration is a topic that must be discussed together with the people. Through this Citizens’ Assembly we want to offer a platform for dialogue, in which citizens can analyze different perspectives and contribute to discussions about the future of local communities,” said Igor Grosu.

The official stressed that the year 2026 is the most suitable for implementing the local public administration reform.

“Everyone must have predictability, to know what the rules are, what the conditions are, at least one year before the local elections. The decisions are not simple. We need discussions, civic and political maturity. The reform must ensure, first of all, services. Thus, the citizen must have access to services and infrastructure in which money has been invested over many years through the projects we have implemented,” added Igor Grosu.

Over the two working weekends, citizens will take part in information sessions, discussions with experts and representatives of local public administration, as well as in facilitated debates. Following these activities, they will draw up a set of recommendations on how local public administration should be organized and function. The final recommendations will be submitted to Parliament, including the relevant committees and parliamentary factions, for analysis and possible follow-up actions.

The Citizens’ Assembly is an apolitical instrument used in several democratic states, which provides a space for structured dialogue between citizens and decision-makers. Participants were selected so as to reflect the diversity of society, including people from different regions of the country, social categories, age groups and language communities. Interested citizens can also participate as observers, with registration available on the platform dedicated to the event.

At the end of January, the Government officially announced the launch of the preparation process for the local public administration reform, as part of efforts to modernize public administration and improve the quality of public services provided to the population. Subsequently, broad consultations on the reform were held with all interested stakeholders, after which the Government presented the reform concept.

According to recently approved amendments by Parliament, the process of voluntary amalgamation of administrative-territorial units will be simplified and improved, as an essential part of the local public administration reform. The amendments were drafted following an extensive public consultation process, in which over 4,500 mayors and citizens participated. At present, 512 voluntary amalgamation decisions have already been approved.