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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The debate over territorial reform in Albania has returned to the spotlight, with several possible scenarios for the reorganization of municipalities.
After the experiment in 2015, the majority has decided to once again stir up local government by presenting 4 scenarios for the territorial map.
At the meeting of the SP parliamentary group at the Brigades Palace, the co-chair of the territorial reform, Arbjan Mazniku, presented to the majority 4 variants of the territorial map that are under discussion.
The versions range from merging small municipalities with large ones, to preserving existing ones, to consolidating small municipalities.
Option 1: Functional Consolidation
Small municipalities merge with stronger neighbors, while districts remain as the coordinating level.
Advantage: Quick implementation with low political cost and no constitutional change. Risk: Inter-municipal strategic level is missing and compliance with EU requirements remains limited.
Option 2: Consolidation and Decentralization
Large municipalities at the level of former districts as the main executive level, while current former municipalities receive city status with a directly elected mayor and council.
Advantage: Two levels with dual democratic legitimacy and high efficiency in complex services.
Risk: Consolidation requires major boundary changes and massive transfer of staff, assets, and systems.
Option 3: Strengthening the District
All municipalities and counties are preserved, but the county is transformed from a coordination level to a real executive level with direct elections, functions are divided according to their nature, not according to the size of the municipality.
Advantage: does not change any borders, avoids territorial tension and has a strong European precedent.
Risk: the current capacities of the regions are very low and there is a risk that the region will be weaker than the municipality it replaces.
Option 4: Strategic Regions
Very small municipalities are easily consolidated, counties are simplified, and four strategic regions are added for long-term planning, important infrastructure, and EU funds.
Advantage: higher compliance with EU NUTS-2 requirements and capacity for major projects.
Risk: three levels of government increase bureaucracy, while the new regions have weak democratic legitimacy due to indirect election.
No scenario was presented as the final choice. The group was explained that the process goes through public consultations, hearings in the territory, and a political document before arriving at the legal package.
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