Moldova to undergo major administrative reform reducing districts

Moldova is set to undergo a radical reorganization of its local public administration. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu confirmed that the number of second-level administrative-territorial units will be significantly reduced, and these new entities will no longer be called 'raioane' (districts).

Under the proposed reform, the current 32 districts could be reduced to fewer than eight larger units. While the specific new names have not been finalized, Grosu noted a preference for the term 'județ' (county). The municipalities of Chișinău and Bălți will maintain their distinct status, and certain entities with special status, such as UTA Gagauzia and the Bulgarian cultural unit of Taraclia, will remain.

The reform aims to shift more development responsibility to amalgamated mayoralties, while second-level councils will operate with narrower but more profound mandates and smaller budgets.