Moldova is one of the most fragmented countries in Europe
The Europa 2028 platform, led by Vasile Toffan, notes that our mayoralties are extremely small:
“We are 65 times more fragmented than, for example, Ireland, which is also a relatively small country.”
As for the second level, one district on average serves about 75,000 people, while in Poland it is almost 2.5 million and in Denmark 1.2 million. At the same time, countries comparable to Moldova have completely abandoned the district division, considering it inefficient.
The financial efficiency of Moldovan mayoralties is extremely low, experts believe:
“Small municipalities are unable to provide basic services: water supply, sewerage, education, social protection. Even the best managers cannot physically cope with the load”.
Vasile Tofan added that Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but with a budget sector comparable to developed countries:
“We are completely detached from the standards – we exceed Iceland, Luxembourg, Finland, France in terms of the share of the budget sector.”
The expert emphasized that administrative and territorial reform is critically necessary. According to him, the reform should be long-term and systemic, putting the interests of the state above political ambitions:
“The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election, while a statesman thinks about future generations.”
