Moldova to overhaul district administration and empower mayors
The Moldovan government is preparing to consolidate its 32 districts into 10 or fewer regional units while devolving greater fiscal and administrative powers directly to local town halls.
Devolution and fiscal tools for mayoralties
Under the planned territorial-administrative reform, the reconfigured second-tier authorities may shed the historical designation of "raion" (district) and transition toward a strategic coordination role. The central objective is to empower first-tier local public administrations, bringing public services closer to citizens and reinforcing municipal autonomy.
“The process for the second tier has already begun, with discussions underway regarding a revamped district map, conceptual competencies, and legal levers,” said Alexandru Iacub, Deputy Secretary General of the Government, speaking on Moldova 1’s În Context program. “The State Chancellery and the Government will make a formal public announcement shortly, and it will be a welcome development.”
The blueprint includes transferring multiple responsibilities and dedicated fiscal mechanisms from district councils to local mayoralties. Officials noted that many existing second-tier prerogatives have become obsolete or redundant following centralized digital public service rollouts.
Expanding administrative capacity and project management
Although second-tier administrations will not be eliminated entirely in this initial phase, their core mandate will shift toward strategic project assistance for town halls.
“One of the primary additional roles assigned to the second tier will be strategic support for mayoralties in drafting development projects,” Iacub explained.
The reform model also targets administrative efficiency through demographic scale. Under the government's baseline framework, the average population served by a first-tier local authority is projected to expand from approximately 1,900 to 6,000 residents—excluding the major municipalities of Chișinău and Bălți—creating a larger specialist talent pool and bolstering project execution capabilities.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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