This was stated by Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu and Prime Ministerial Candidate Vasile Tofan following discussions on the implementation of the local government reform.
“Although there were discussions regarding an approach based on the municipalization of settlements, at this stage it is not advisable to change the direction of the reform,” said Igor Grosu. “Mr. Tofan understands that the reform is already well underway, and there is no point in intervening radically now through the approach he has proposed. He himself acknowledged this.”
The speaker added that the issue of municipalization could be revisited in the next electoral cycle.
Tofan would like to see “a more ambitious reform”
“We already have elements of municipalization, as exemplified by the Ungheni municipality,” he continued. “There, the consolidation initiative has expanded to such an extent that it should, in fact, cover all settlements in the district. We will analyze this approach for the next electoral cycle. We cannot implement such changes during the terms of mayors and council members. We need to ensure predictability.”
“I would like the reform to be more ambitious,” noted Vasile Tofan. “But as a responsible person, I understand that we are very close to the deadline. Besides, it’s impossible to change the government apparatus overnight. “I don’t fully agree with this approach; I’d like to see a bolder one, but given how far we’ve come, it would be madness to radically reverse the reform in the opposite direction. Therefore, we will focus on continuity.”
The authorities have announced July 31 as the final date by which municipal administrations can make a decision on voluntary consolidation.
According to the latest information, as of today, 773 municipal administrations have officially launched procedures for voluntary consolidation.
