Moldovan president says local power must be in mayor’s office

President Maia Sandu says that the reform of local public administration has entered its final stages of preparation, while the next challenge will be implementing the new administrative and territorial organization. The head of state has made statements to this effect after the government presented a proposal to reorganize the country into three regions, three municipalities, the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia and 273 mayoralties.

Maia Sandu noted that the need to reform local public administration had been discussed for years, but the complexity and unpopularity of the changes had prevented the reform from being initiated until now.

“Local power must be in the mayor’s office. Mayors’ offices must have good specialists, the necessary financial resources and the autonomy to build developed communities,” the president said.

According to the head of state, the regions would have clearly defined responsibilities, coordinate major regional projects and operate at lower administrative costs, without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Maia Sandu stressed that the reorganization must ensure citizens’ access to public services close to their places of residence and contribute to infrastructure development, including water supply and sewerage systems.

“Citizens should not have to seek services far from home or wait for decades for water and sewerage, but should have access to all of these services as easily and quickly as possible,” the president stated.

The head of state thanked the mayors, local councilors, district presidents and everyone who contributed to drafting the reorganization proposal. She noted that the new structure must take demographic realities into account and facilitate the attraction of European funds.

Referring to the next stage, Maia Sandu said that implementing the reform would be complicated and expressed hope that emerging problems would be resolved based on citizens’ interests and the need to ensure high-quality public services.

Government Secretary-General Alexei Buzu on October 8 presented the proposal for Moldova’s new administrative and territorial map, which provides for the consolidation of local public administration into 273 mayoralties and three regions. According to the official, the reform aims to create local administrations with greater capacity to manage resources, attract investments and provide public services.