As the organization emphasizes, it is based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the recommendations of the Council of Europe, and support for Moldova’s European integration process.
The document is the result of extensive consultations involving representatives of local government and state administration, as well as experts and scholars.
According to its framework, strengthening local autonomy entails deepening political, administrative, and financial decentralization, as well as ensuring that the powers of local authorities are directly linked to the provision of the financial resources necessary for their exercise.
What CALM Proposes
In terms of territorial reform, the organization’s members propose encouraging voluntary amalgamation, inter-municipal cooperation, and the delegation of powers that cannot be exercised by local authorities, as well as the elimination of districts and the creation of development regions based on the European model (NUTS 2).
To this end, CALM believes that “municipalization”—the transformation of municipalities and cities into development hubs—and the acceleration of the digitalization of public services are necessary.
At the same time, decisions on changing administrative-territorial boundaries should be made following consultation with citizens (preferably through a referendum).
Members of the organization believe that genuine local autonomy depends on the quality of institutions and the clarity of competencies, rather than on the demographic parameters of a settlement. And to ensure success, it must be implemented in parallel with the reform of central government—to maintain a vertical balance of power.
To avoid the risks of social and political destabilization, the process requires transition periods, impact assessments, and the achievement of broad political and social consensus.
