President Maia Sandu said that the administrative-territorial reform will have certain political costs, which will be paid by the ruling party, but this is not a reason to abandon it. The head of state spoke about this in an interview journalist Nicolae Chicu. According to the president, settlements that do not want to voluntarily unite will subsequently be united based on a decision of the state.
“There will be certain political costs that the ruling party will pay, but this is not an argument for not carrying out reform. We want our communities to develop, and this requires changes,” Sandu said.
The President explained that the current system with a large number of small city halls does not allow providing quality services and decent living conditions for citizens. According to her, larger city halls have greater resources, teams of specialists and are able to more effectively attract and manage finances.
“It is impossible to implement a sustainable waste management project in a small city hall. It is impossible to create a sustainable sewerage system or even water supply in a small city hall. Such projects are designed for a larger number of residents and involve the cooperation of several localities,” Sandu emphasized.
Speaking about settlements that cannot get a majority of votes for voluntary unification, the head of state said that in this case the state will intervene.
“Now people have the opportunity to determine for themselves with whom to unite and where the administrative center will be located. If this does not happen voluntarily, the state will determine by normative means how the reform will take place for the remaining city halls,” the president noted.
Sandu rejected accusations that the reform is aimed at increasing political control over populated areas.
“Settlements will remain in place; no one is going to liquidate villages or change their names. We are talking about reducing the number of city halls, increasing the efficiency of administrative expenses and strengthening their capabilities,” the head of state clarified.
Sandu also criticized opponents of the reform, recalling that not a single government over the past 20 years has decided to make such changes.
“Those who criticize this reform today could have carried it out themselves over the past 20 years. But none of the previous governments took on such responsibility, because this reform is not very popular and does not give immediate results,” Sandu shared.
Earlier, President Maia Sandu addressed citizens on May 25 about the administrative reform that is taking place in Moldova. According to Sandu, more and more fakes and disinformation began to appear on social networks to hinder the process of unifying city halls. The head of state emphasized that “the reform, despite all its complexity, is the only chance for Moldovan villages to get real development prospects.”
According to the government, now 608 local councils out of 892 city halls existing in the country have already decided to begin voluntary association. From May 18 to 22, government representatives visited Telenesti, Causani, Riscani, Floresti, Taraclia, Soldanesti, Cantemir and Cahul districts to explain the details of the process to local elected officials.
One of the most illustrative examples is the Floresti district, where 36 out of 40 city halls have already decided to start merging, as well as the Telenesti district, where the administrations of 12 settlements are merging. The united mayor’s office of these settlements will receive about 92 million lei from the state budget, which can be spent on specific projects and improving the lives of citizens.
***
In January 2026, the government announced the launch of administrative-territorial reform. Now Moldova consists of 35 territorial units, including 32 districts. After the reform, a minimum threshold of 3 thousand residents will be introduced for one city hall and the number of districts will be reduced to 10.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel @newsmakerlive. Everything that is important to know right now about Moldova and the region quickly appears there.
Want to support what we do?
You can contribute to quality journalism by supporting us one-time through the E-commerce system from maib bank or by taking out a monthly subscription to Patreon! This way you will become part of changing Moldova for the better. Thanks to your support, we will be able to implement even more new and important projects and remain independent. No matter how you support us, you will receive a small gift. Follow the link to become our partner. It’s not difficult and even pleasant.
