This reform is seen as critical for the preparation of local authorities for accession to the European Union. And one of the strong arguments presented by the authorities in support of the local public administration reform is the supposed simplification of access to European funds.
However, the idea that the unification of city administrations will automatically lead to an increase in European funding raises doubts among local authorities. “Unification does not guarantee access to funding, and many municipalities do not have the experts, tools or mechanisms for pre-financing and co-financing needed to implement projects,” says Viorel Furdui, executive director of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM). – In addition, according to European standards, core funding programs are managed at the regional level within the framework of the international NUTS 2 system. In the absence of reliable national support mechanisms, there is a risk of transferring responsibilities to local authorities without covering the necessary resources”.
Will services be ready before the reform?
At the same time, the impact of the reform on citizens’ access to public services needs to be carefully analyzed, according to the community. There is a real risk that citizens will need to travel long distances to receive administrative services, as was already the case during the previous reform.
Many localities lack modern service delivery centers, road infrastructure is underdeveloped, and the level of digitalization remains low. Under these circumstances, an important question arises: will services be ready before the reform or will citizens bear the costs and difficulties of the transition period?
Added to all this is the lack of clear legal and financial guarantees. There is no assurance that villages, having lost their mayoralties, will not be disadvantaged in the process of allocating funds or investments. This is because no clear mechanisms have been created for the participation of small communities in the decision-making process in the new administrative structures. And in the absence of such guarantees, current promises may become vulnerable to future policy changes.
