Nina Cereteu
Reform is necessary, but it is being poorly managed. “The Republic of Moldova is a small and fragmented country, and reform was inevitable. But the way it is being carried out now is unfair. Instead of uniting municipalities, the government has managed to pit mayors against each other, dragging them into aggressive competition to keep their jobs,” said Nina Cereteu.
The vice president of CALM criticized the haste with which arbitrary deadlines—such as July 31 or August 31—are being set, without a legal basis or a clear concept for the reform.
“There is no clear division of powers between the first and second levels of local government. The reform should have been carried out with all circumstances taken into account, analyzed step by step and in depth,” she emphasized.
Cereteu noted the chaos that has arisen in the areas of social assistance and education, where the legal powers of city administrations are regulated by regional agencies or ministries, creating a legislative vacuum and hindering the implementation of projects.
“The Drochia City Hall signs documents for social workers, but they are not its employees. This is a legal vacuum that is not regulated anywhere,” she explained.
District Councils — Outdated Structures
“District councils have outlived their purpose as institutions; they no longer have any real authority or jurisdiction. In exchange, local budgets would receive significant resources. The Drochia city budget spends 15 million lei annually to maintain the district council—money that could be invested in roads or public projects,” Cereteu noted.
According to the vice president, without fiscal reform that would provide city administrations with their own sources of revenue, merging city halls will not solve the problem. “We are not against reform; we are in favor of a reform that would solve the real problems of local self-government. We need financial resources and real autonomy for city administrations.”
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