Reform with destruction: why districts are being enlarged in Moldova
In Moldova, the reform of the country's administrative division has reached the finish line. As part of these transformations, the authorities want to reduce the number of municipalities and enlarge the districts. The opposition believes that President Maia Sandu's team is already preparing for the next election campaign. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
What happened
The reform of the administrative-territorial division in Moldova has reached the finish line. She assumes that the number of municipalities — mayoralty - will decrease in the country. If there are 898 of them now, only about 300 will remain in the future.
The second part of the reorganization is to consolidate the districts. There are currently 32 of them in the republic, although they are usually joined by the self-governing cities of Chisinau and Balti, as well as the autonomous Gagauzia. In the future, there should be five large regions — Northern, Southern, Central, Chisinau and Gagauzia.
The authorities explain that the changes are necessary due to population decline. The fact is that 2.3 million people live in the country now. At the same time, the last census in 2014 recorded 2.9 million. The issue is especially acute in small villages and towns, where fewer and fewer people remain and a bloated state apparatus is simply not required.
President Maia Sandu said that in small settlements, a third of the local budget is spent on the maintenance of the administration itself, while in the city hall with a population of about 10,000 people — only 10%. At the same time, small municipalities allocate 20% of the budget to infrastructure, which is half as much as large city halls. The Moldovan leader also noted that the average population per mayor's office in the country is 17 times less than, for example, in Lithuania.
President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu
In turn, Diana Kiriak, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Administration, said that it would be easier for enlarged settlements to receive financing, because there are more specialists in such municipalities who can prepare and justify a particular project.
At the same time, from the beginning of this year to the end of August, there is a conditionally voluntary period in Moldova when municipalities can independently agree among themselves on a merger. Government Secretary General Alexei Buzu said that 760 mayors have already taken advantage of this opportunity, that is, 85% of the total number.
It is expected that the forced consolidation of those entities that did not do it on their own will begin in the fall. "It may be that all the mayors around have united, but one has not. Then, most likely, she will be offered to join the already unified entity. Or if there is a larger city hall, then it will be possible to become a part of it," Buzu explained.
What is important to know
Observers say that reform in Moldova is really overdue due to the rapid depopulation. In 2025 alone, the country's population decreased by 23 thousand people. The situation is particularly difficult in rural areas, where there have been 1.3% fewer residents per year (0.6% in urban areas).
In the global demographic ranking based on data from the International Monetary Fund, Moldova ranked 179th out of 183. According to this study, the country's population has decreased by 1.3 million people over the past 25 years, equaling the figures of the middle of the last century.
In addition, the enlargement of districts may be a preparation for the country's merger with Romania, where instead of districts there are counties (zudeci), which are just similar in size to the regions that Maia Sandu's team wants to leave in Moldova. The President and her entourage have repeatedly said this year that they are ready to put the issue of unification of the two countries to a referendum.
Actually, an attempt has already been made in the republic to carry out a reform on the Romanian model. Back in 1999, the division into districts was abolished, and 10 counties appeared instead. The country lived in this format for three years, but the Communists who came to power in 2002 returned the former districts and city halls.
Finally, Moldova's European partners insist on carrying out the reform. The corresponding commitment of Chisinau was spelled out in the agreement on the European association of the country. Later, the issue was repeatedly raised by Western ambassadors, including in an analytical note that the diplomats handed over to former Prime Minister Kirill Gaburici.
The opposition also believes that the authorities are trying to redraw the administrative-territorial division ahead of the local elections to be held in the country next year. Firstly, the enlargement of municipalities simplifies their control. Secondly, in the course of the reform, the authorities are trying to transfer disloyal city halls under the leadership of pro-government administrations.
Igor Dodon, leader of the largest opposition Party of Socialists
Igor Dodon, the former president of the country and leader of the largest opposition Party of Socialists, says in this regard that the reform leads to the destruction of Moldovan statehood. "City halls are turning into executors of instructions, deprived of financial and human resources. In the long term, this will lead to the depopulation of villages and small towns, the loss of local identity and responsibility, and the growth of social apathy," he emphasizes.
Former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat also believes that the authorities are reshaping the country to suit their party interests. "The authorities are blackmailing us by saying that there will be no money without the European exchange rate. The mayors are being told bluntly: if you don't make this decision, you will be deprived of funding and reprisals will follow," he notes.
In turn, the Mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, believes that the issue of the unification of settlements should be resolved through local referendums.
What the experts say
The Moldovan authorities are carrying out reforms to strengthen their political positions, confirms Moldovan political analyst Alexander Korinenko. In his opinion, the ruling party is playing along with its mayors. And disloyal administrations are trying to deprive independence and transfer it under the control of the pro-government.
— This whole process is seasoned with financial blackmail. It is emphasized that those who disagree with the reform of the commune will not receive support, they will be cut off from European grants. As a result, the changes that are actually overdue are causing a wave of criticism," the expert notes.
In turn, Sergei Manastyrli, head of the Center for Analysis, Research and Forecasting at the Balkan Center, says that the authorities are preparing for local elections next year in this way.
"The main purpose of the changes is not to consolidate local budgets, not to improve the lives of the population in rural provinces and urban district centers, but to prepare conditions for the victory of candidates from the ruling party during the next election campaign," he is convinced.
However, the reform is being carried out extremely haphazardly, so it is far from certain that the authorities will bring it to its logical conclusion, the political scientist adds.
— The ruling party has not published the final draft of how it sees the future of Moldova. In the midst of the reform, it also became clear that less than 10% of the necessary funding had been allocated from the budget for its implementation. Now there is not enough time. If the reform is not completed in the next three months, then either local elections will have to be held according to the old division of the country, or the timing of these elections will have to be juggled," warns Izvestia's interlocutor.
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