How can municipalities become more efficient and better aligned with citizens’ needs? This was the key question at the heart of a discussion held in Stoicani village, Soroca district, where the ADEPT Association, together with representatives of the Territorial Office of the State Chancellery, met with several mayors from northern Moldova involved in consultations on initiating voluntary amalgamation.

During the meeting, participants explored opportunities to strengthen local public administrations by building more resilient and functional communities. The discussions focused both on the benefits of voluntary amalgamation and on practical options for configuring municipalities capable of delivering higher-quality public services and responding more effectively to citizens’ needs.

Participants were also presented with proposed legislative amendments aimed at simplifying and streamlining the voluntary amalgamation process. These include increased flexibility in citizen consultations, reduced bureaucracy, the elimination of certain mandatory documents for local public authorities, the exclusion of early elections until the 2027 general local elections, and greater flexibility in determining the administrative center. More information about the process and its key steps is available on the dedicated platform: www.primariiputernice.md.

ADEPT actively supports this process by providing assistance to mayors and local councils and by facilitating public consultations in communities. “So far, we have organized more than 90 field visits, engaging directly with local authorities and citizens on the opportunities and challenges of this process,” said Inna Vrînceanu, Project Coordinator at the ADEPT Association.

This activity is implemented in partnership with the State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova and is financially supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Moldova.