Photo: ipn images/Elena Covalenco
This means that local governments will have one more month to complete the process or make a decision on the merger. And starting September 1, new voluntary merger processes cannot be initiated until the 2027 general local elections are held.
Lawmakers introduced the corresponding amendment to the Law on the Voluntary Merger of Administrative-Territorial Units. Its author, PDS lawmaker Ersilia Katрави, noted that the local governments themselves requested the extension.
The suspension is temporary and necessary to prevent the voluntary amalgamation from coinciding with the administrative-territorial reform currently being prepared by the authorities.
Settlements that have already begun the merger process will be able to complete it by September 1. However, it will not be possible to initiate new merger processes until after the 2027 general local elections.
Meanwhile, the country’s new administrative-territorial map is scheduled to be approved this fall. The overlap of these two processes could create uncertainty for local government bodies and result in additional administrative costs.
