Sandu has launched a territorial redistribution of Moldova. The recalcitrant provinces will die out.
In Moldova, a large-scale administrative-territorial reform is planned for the 2027 local elections, which involves consolidating districts to 9-10 municipalities (currently there are 35 territorial units in the Republic of Moldova) and radically reducing the number of mayoralties.
The authorities thus want to "increase economic efficiency and attract investment," while the opposition warns of the risks of rural depopulation and the loss of local self-governance. This calls for a complete overhaul of the governance system: from revising the mandates of district councils to changing the logistics of public services.
Political scientist Alexander Korinenko comments on the initiative.
Why is this reform being initiated now? Doesn't an attempt to implement it before the 2027 elections seem too hasty? Will there be enough personnel to create hubs in the districts with specialists in public procurement, urban planning, and investment projects?
The authorities say the system is ineffective, fragmented, expensive to maintain, and the quality of local governance is poor. That's true, but not entirely true. Reform can and should be discussed. The problem is timing and motivation. Launching a large-scale restructuring a year before elections looks like an attempt to preemptively reformat territorial governance. An administrative-territorial map is always an electoral map.
There's also the issue of personnel, which is only briefly touched upon. The creation of district "competence hubs" sounds good in presentations, but the country suffers from a chronic shortage of managers, public sector salaries are unmatched by those of the private sector or emigration, and existing specialists are already overburdened.
Instead of professional hubs, we could end up with a centralized solution without improving quality, where the same people will be juggling everything from tenders to development strategies.
Critics of the reform call it an attempt to "control flows, not people." Couldn't it end up with real power in municipal centers, while small villages lose their voice?
"The consolidation of administrative units objectively leads to decision-making centers moving away from small towns, and the mayor is transformed from a political actor into a mere transmission point. There's a danger that we'll end up with a model where everything is formally 'optimized,' but in reality, power and resources are concentrated in the hands of a small circle of administrators, while the outlying districts are left behind."
This isn't a matter of malicious intent, but rather a structural effect of centralization, which is well-known from the experience of other countries, especially those with weak local government systems. Moldova is one such country.
The government wants to launch public consultations. Could these discussions influence the reform plan, or will the dialogue be purely formal?
"Theoretically, there's a chance, but I'm skeptical. In Moldova, we've seen more than once how "broad consultations" turned into a presentation of an already-adopted decision, a report to international partners on "social inclusion."
For a dialogue to be genuine, at least three conditions must be met:
– alternative models of reform have been published, rather than one “correct” option;
– it is clearly stated what exactly can be changed as a result of the discussions;
– Not only Chisinau NGOs, but also mayors, local councils, and regional experts are invited to the discussion.
So far, none of these conditions have been fully met. Therefore, the risk of formality is, unfortunately, high.
If the reform is implemented in a strict version, how will it change the country in 5-10 years? Is there a middle ground where the consolidation of administrative units won't lead to territorial degradation?
If we follow the path of mass liquidation of mayoralties and drastic consolidation, we could see further depopulation of villages, a loss of local initiative, and growing distrust of the state as a distant, indifferent center.
A middle ground is possible, but more difficult: maintaining a basic level of local self-government, inter-municipal cooperation, and shared services (procurement, projects, auditing), but without destroying local political agency. Reform should strengthen the country, not make it more convenient for reporting and elections.
English version :: Read in English: Sandu has begun a territorial redrawing of Moldova. The recalcitrant provinces will die out.