CALM executive director: Administrative-territorial reform should be voluntary and focused on decentralization

Executive Director of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) Viorel Furdui presented the organization's position regarding local public administration reform and the merging of city halls, emphasizing the importance of a balanced and transparent approach.

According to Furdui, territorial reform should not be considered the "zero priority." Although local public administration reform is essential, the merging of municipalities has often become a "frightening subject" that risks blocking the entire reform process.


"We should start with elements that have general consensus and do not provoke fear or immediate opposition," said Furdui.


Financial Decentralization and Local Autonomy – Pillars of Reform

Viorel Furdui highlights that the main problem for local administrations is the excessive centralization of power and financial resources at the level of Chișinău.

CALM advocates for real decentralization and local autonomy, considered key tools for reducing corruption and strengthening the administrative capacity of communities. Currently, municipality budgets significantly depend on the central budget, which maintains political control over local administrations and limits local development.

Voluntary and Efficient Municipal Merging

Viorel Furdui does not deny the necessity of adjusting the territorial structure but emphasizes that the problem is not the number of municipalities, but their efficiency. He promotes voluntary amalgamation and intercommunal association as the main tools for increasing administrative capacity.


"A rushed and non-transparent reform can degrade communities and accelerate population migration," warns Furdui.


In conclusion, CALM supports that administrative-territorial reform should be part of a broader process of real decentralization, aimed at increasing the efficiency and accountability of local administrations, and not just a simple reduction of the number of city halls carried out non-transparently.

This position highlights the necessity of inclusive dialogue and progressive measures that strengthen local autonomy, support community development, and protect the interests of citizens.

Speaker Igor Grosu stated this week on a television show that the administrative-territorial reform must be implemented before the 2027 local elections to ensure efficient management of public funds and quality services for citizens. The reform entails reorganizing localities into larger administrative units and replacing districts with 8–10 regions with extended responsibilities, implemented gradually through voluntary mergers and pilot projects. Grosu emphasized that the reforms aim not just at administrative names, but at the efficiency of services, including in education, concentrating students in well-equipped schools.

 

The reform, linked to European integration, is included in the Public Administration Strategy 2023–2030.