Moldova Could Have 292 Mayoral Offices Instead of 892 After the 2027 Elections

The preliminary estimate was presented by Government Secretary General Alexei Buzu. After the 2027 general local elections, the number of mayoral offices in Moldova could fall by more than threefold, from the current 892 to approximately 292, rupor.md reports. “We expect that after the 2027 local elections, we will have 292 mayoral offices. This is a preliminary estimate. The figure may still change, as the entire process has not yet been completed. But we have been asked about this repeatedly, so we can now provide such an estimate. Ultimately, according to our calculations, around 292 mayoral offices will remain,” Buzu said. The voluntary amalgamation stage for local administrations ended on August 31. Of the 892 existing mayoral offices, 890 are eligible to participate in the process, with Chisinau and Balti excluded. According to Buzu, 561 local administrations have adopted final decisions on amalgamation, accounting for 63% of their total number. In August alone, around 150 mayoral offices managed to reach an agreement and adopt such decisions. Overall, 85% of local administrations have launched the voluntary amalgamation process. In total, 788 local councils adopted 1,226 decisions affecting 836 mayoral offices, or 94% of their total number. At present, 776 mayoral offices serve settlements with populations of fewer than 3,000 people. Over the past ten years, the population of these settlements has declined by 32%. Buzu explained the need for the reform by pointing to the weak financial autonomy of small local administrations. On average, their own revenues account for only 11% of the funds they use. According to him, eight out of ten families without access to water supply and sewerage live in settlements with fewer than 3,000 residents. Buzu described this as a consequence of the fragmented system rather than inaction by local authorities.