Moldova to present local public administration reform concept

The concept of local public administration reform will be presented at the end of February–early March. Afterwards, all technical aspects of the reform will be finalized, with the legislative proposals planned to be submitted to Parliament in the fall of this year.

These details were shared by the Secretary General of the Government, Alexei Buzu, who stated that the goal of the reform is to accelerate the development of local communities, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

“We are currently conducting preliminary consultations. We want to exchange opinions on a fundamental and significant change. At the end of February–beginning of March, we will publish the concept of the reform with more details. Then, in June–July, we will finalize all technical aspects so that we can come to Parliament in the autumn session with the full legislative package, which will also cover territorial-administrative resizing, local public administration financing, and amendments to the Electoral Code,” said Alexei Buzu on the TV program “Rezoomat” on Realitatea TV.

The Secretary General emphasized that the initiated reform is complex but highly necessary.

“The local public administration reform is not just about redrawing a new administrative map; it also concerns the competencies and structure of municipalities, what they are expected to do, including districts. So this reform is a much more complex effort than just administrative-territorial resizing,” explained Buzu.

According to the official, the central objective of the reform is to accelerate local development and bring services closer to citizens.

“What we want to achieve is to speed up development. We must understand that the investments already made need to be maintained. Citizens have higher expectations—they expect faster and deeper changes, and this is why we will try to deliver that. This is a complex reform, and it is no coincidence that no one has undertaken it until now. But I believe there is a consensus that the situation requires reform, and reform is necessary,” the official stated.

Buzu mentioned that over 300 municipalities are currently involved in voluntary amalgamation at different stages. Authorities plan to initiate a draft law to simplify the amalgamation process and provide new incentives for municipalities that choose to undergo it.

In addition to voluntary amalgamation, there will also be normative (mandatory) amalgamation for municipalities with populations below a certain threshold, which will be determined through ongoing consultations.

Buzu emphasized that normative amalgamation is necessary because statistics show that 60% of municipalities in Moldova administer local affairs for populations under 1,500 residents.

“We do not believe that, in the long term, such municipalities will be able to manage services, projects, and programs at the level citizens expect,” he said.

“The way a municipality is organized today, in 2026, when a new version of artificial intelligence appears every three months, was created over 25 years ago. It is a model based on providing administrative services, not local development,” Buzu noted.

After the reform, each locality will have a service center and a representative of the mayor.

“In all amalgamated municipalities, village names will not change, and traditions and identity will remain. The changes will only affect administrative matters. We will expand the network of unified service centers, where all public services will be provided. Citizens will come to the municipal office and will be able to access municipal services, social security services, cadastral services, civil registry, and other public services,” explained the Secretary General.

Buzu also commented on the future of districts: “In a post-2027 reality, we will certainly have fewer districts, but they will have a much clearer mandate.”

He denied claims that the reform aims to save money.

“The goal of this reform is to accelerate the development of our communities and regions. We need strong municipalities for developed localities and better services for people. That is the aim. We always put citizens’ interests first, and this reform is no exception,” concluded Alexei Buzu.

At the end of January, the Government officially announced the launch of the local public administration reform process as part of efforts to modernize administration and improve the quality of public services for citizens.