The amalgamation of town halls will become mandatory from the second half of this year for localities that have not yet initiated the voluntary merger process. The authorities aim to establish by law the framework and criteria for these consolidations. According to the Secretary General of the Government, Alexei Buzu, the normative mergers will apply especially to town halls that do not reach a minimum population threshold.
In an interview for IPN, Alexei Buzu, stated that currently, over 320 municipalities are already involved in a voluntary amalgamation process, and the authorities hope that this number will increase by June-July, when the final line will be drawn.
“We still believe that voluntary amalgamation should be the main tool. However, those town halls that have a population below a certain threshold and will not be part of a voluntary process will enter a normative amalgamation process, regulated by law,” explained Alexei Buzu.
According to him, the concept of local public administration reform is set to be published at the end of February – beginning of March, after the completion of consultations. The document will establish clear criteria on the basis of which mandatory mergers will be decided.
At the same time, the authorities are preparing legislative changes aimed at simplifying the process of merging municipalities, eliminating the need for new elections within this framework. According to Alexei Buzu, municipalities can initiate the voluntary amalgamation process, and the local scrutiny will take place along with the general elections in 2027.
The government maintains that the reform is necessary, as approximately 60% of the town halls in the Republic of Moldova serve less than 1,500 inhabitants, some even less than 500. According to Alexei Buzu, this hinders the attraction of investments, the implementation of large infrastructure projects, and the provision of quality public services.
