Amalgamation process - voluntary and does not affect Chișinău’s status - Government Secretary General says

Secretary General of the Government Alexei Buzu came on Monday with technical clarifications regarding the Local Public Administration (LPA) reform, in response to recent statements made by mayor of the capital Ion Ceban. The official stressed that the amalgamation process is voluntary and rejected claims that the administrative integrity of the municipality of Chișinău would be put at risk.

According to the official, the reform is designed to bring benefits both to local elected officials and to citizens, by strengthening the capacity of town halls to provide essential services such as water, sewerage, and the attraction of development projects. Alexei Buzu referred to the provisions of Law 225/2023 to clarify the legal nature of the process.


“Amalgamation concerns first-level administrative units, not second-level ones. Chișinău is a second-level unit and is in no way affected by the amalgamation,” Buzu explained.


He added that the decision to initiate such a process belongs exclusively to the communities and local representatives from the suburbs, not to the general mayor.

The Government representative confirmed the existence of local initiatives to unify administrations, specifying that the central authorities support these efforts wherever there is a clear desire from the community.


“There are situations in which certain suburbs have jointly decided to start a process of unifying their administrations, and we support them. There are also situations in which certain villages have expressed their intention to merge their administration with a neighboring suburb,” the official noted, reiterating that all decisions are made following consultations with citizens.


Alexei Buzu urged the capital’s mayor not to obstruct the reform process and to focus instead on the pressing issues of the municipality of Chișinău, such as the approval of the local budget.


“If he cannot contribute, I kindly ask him not to interfere. I urge Mr. Ceban to stop instilling false fears and dividing society. Chișinău needs a competent mayor and a budget approved on time and dedicated to people’s needs,” Buzu said.


The voluntary amalgamation of administrative-territorial units will be simplified and improved as an essential part of the local public administration reform. The amendments, developed following an extensive public consultation process in which over 4,500 mayors and citizens participated, were approved last week by Parliament with 59 votes. At present, more than 320 decisions to initiate the voluntary amalgamation process have already been adopted. In the vast majority of cases, the decision is made either unanimously or by an overwhelming majority of votes.

Previously, the Secretary General of the Government mentioned in Parliament that the interests of the people and the goal of providing development opportunities to localities in the Republic of Moldova are at the center of all decisions: “The reform is not only necessary, it is long overdue, and any delay is an act of profound irresponsibility towards our strong mayors and the families who, in 2026, still do not have water and sewerage,” said the head of the State Chancellery.

The State Chancellery and MOLDPRES State News Agency have launched a detailed information brochure on the Concept of the Local Public Administration Reform. The document, entitled “Strong Town Halls – Developed Communities”, summarizes the stages of amalgamation and the direct benefits for citizens, turning complex legal language into a guide accessible to everyone.