Voluntary amalgamation, an option for Romania too

IPN.md

21 September 2026
11:45

The voluntary amalgamation of localities could also be implemented in Romania. The announcement was made by Siegfried Muresan, the appointed Prime Minister of Romania. He stated that the reform was successful in the Republic of Moldova and that he will include it in the government program he is about to present in Parliament, reports IPN.

The local public administration reform project stipulates that by the end of 2027, the Republic of Moldova will have 292 town halls compared to almost 900 currently. However, the reform has sparked numerous controversies, and the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) announced that it has turned into a campaign of “voluntary self-liquidation”, carried out through political pressures, manipulation and violation of the rule of law principles.

At the same time, the authorities maintain that voluntary amalgamation will ensure funds for the development of localities. According to the government, by August 31, 561 municipalities have made final decisions on voluntary amalgamation while another 254 are to be merged through normative amalgamation, based on decisions approved by the Government and Parliament.

The authorities have announced that the newly formed entities will receive around 4.5 billion lei, and the money will be distributed in several stages, until the year 2030. According to the Government, the most money, over 157 million lei, will go to Ungheni, for 10 UATs.

The reform implies that by the end of 2027, there will be no more town halls in the Republic of Moldova that will have less than 3000 inhabitants registered, and if over the years, the population will fall below this quota, then the town hall will be obliged to enter a new amalgamation process.

Parliament reform Romania Siegfried Muresan town halls Voluntary amalgamation Правительство

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Moldova is preparing the construction of the 400 kV Straseni-Gutinas power line. The project will be declared of public utility of national interest

by Irina Botu 21.09.2026

The construction of the 400 kV Straseni–Gutinas overhead power line and the modernization of the Straseni 330 kV power station are set to be declared works of public utility of national interest. The draft law was prepared by the Ministry of Energy and is to be approved by the Government. According to the explanatory note, the new power line will have an estimated length of about 70 kilometers on the territory of the Republic of Moldova and will ensure a direct connection between the Straseni station and the transport network in Romania, through the Gutinas station, reports IPN.

The line will cross 25 localities from the districts of Straseni, Calarasi, Nisporeni and Hancesti. According to the explanatory note, the project is considered strategic for energy security and the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the European energy system. The new interconnection is expected to diversify the routes of electricity transport and increase the reliability of the system. The works are planned to be completed by 2032.

Declaring the project as a national public utility objective would allow the application of special procedures for the expropriation of lands. The owners of the permanently affected lands are to be compensated at the market price, but not less than the value established by evaluation. The note indicates an average estimate of about 2,100 lei for a permanently affected hectare and approximately 200 lei per year for a temporarily affected hectare.

The United States Government announced, a year ago, its commitment to fund the construction of the line with 130 million dollars. The financing structure, costs, and implementation stages are to be determined in negotiations with partners from the United States and Romania.

The project will also require an environmental impact assessment. The beneficiary will need to develop the assessment study and obtain the Environmental Agreement, and the route should be established so as to avoid, as much as possible, areas of high ecological value and protected natural areas. In the case of areas with archaeological heritage, work can begin after the necessary procedures have been carried out.

For the preparation of the project, the Government established in 2025 a Preliminary Research Commission, which found the existence of elements necessary for declaring public utility of national interest. The project went through legal and anti-corruption expertise in September 2026, and after the completion of government procedures, it is to be submitted to the Parliament.

Disclaimer: This material is produced by the IPN Press Agency. The project – Europe Close: Information, dialogue and cooperation – is funded by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova and implemented by the IPN Press Agency. The content of this material does not represent the official position of the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova.