The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova warns that the reform of local public administration presents legal risks and may affect local democracy, as well as the European path of the Republic of Moldova. During a meeting with the designated Prime Minister, Vasile Tofan, representatives of local authorities requested that the reform be reviewed and developed in real dialogue with local administrations, reports IPN.

Representatives of CALM argue that the reform process cannot be imposed without effectively consulting those who will implement it. According to them, local authorities have been marginalized, and the Joint Commission, the dialogue platform between the Government and local public administration, has not met for almost a year. At the same time, CALM believes that the deadline of July 31, set for the voluntary amalgamation of localities, is unrealistic and contravenes legal provisions.

During the meeting, the organization proposed a review of the local public administration reform by strengthening decentralization and the financial autonomy of city halls. Among the proposals are the reorganization of the second level of local public administration, strengthening the role of cities in regional development, extending the period of voluntary amalgamation, and adopting measures for fiscal decentralization.

CALM drew attention to the difficulties faced by city halls in implementing projects funded by European funds. According to the organization, the lack of a co-financing and pre-financing mechanism can block important investments, as many local administrations do not have the necessary resources to cover expenses until the money is reimbursed.

At the same time, the organization has called for the acceleration of the digitization of public services and local administrations’ access to state registers. CALM argues that, in the absence of these measures, the reform risks creating new difficulties for citizens.