Changes from the Reform/ The majority's 4 scenarios for territorial reorganization are revealed

2026-07-25 19:10:00, Politikë CNA

Changes from the Reform/ The majority's 4 scenarios for territorial

The report drafted by the majority on the Administrative-Territorial Reform 2.0 also focuses on scenarios for the territorial reorganization of the country and their presentation for decision-making in the Assembly.

The four variants for the new map are considered by the socialists as options that harmonize responsibility with the capacities of local government, in the definitions of which the main advantage is emphasized, without overlooking the challenges that come from each case.

Option 1: Asymmetric decentralization

The territorial map is kept unchanged, while functional responsibilities are differentiated according to demonstrated capacity: basic functions remain with all municipalities, while more demanding functions are assigned only to units with sufficient capacity or are exercised through joint governance. The main advantage is avoiding the costs of a reorganization; the challenge is the complexity of the legal and institutional framework and the limited tradition of inter-municipal cooperation, which may require an additional level of governance.

Option 2: Large mergers

Comprehensive territorial consolidation, with the objective that each new municipality has sufficient institutional capacity to exercise all 41 functions of Law no. 139/2015, with the possibility of decentralizing further functions. The advantage is the full functional equality of the units; the challenges are the difficulty of building A-level units in some regions, the more limited respect for the principle of subsidiarity and the risk that cultural diversity receives less attention.

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Option 3: Medium-sized mergers and reallocation of complementary functions

Moderate consolidation: mergers focus on units with limited capacity, so that each municipality can safely exercise basic and extended functions, while additional specialized functions are reallocated to central government, intermunicipal cooperation or the second local level. The advantage is the better cost-benefit ratio of the intervention; the challenges are the risk of re-centralization of some functions and, again, the possible need for an additional level of governance.

Option 4: Municipalities focused on basic functions

More radical restructuring of responsibilities: municipalities, including the possibility of smaller units, focus on core functions, while complementary and part of the extended functions are reallocated to other governance arrangements. The advantage is better compliance with the subsidiarity principle; the challenges are the practical difficulty of dividing the units and the limited potential for further decentralization.

The report also states that the evaluation of scenarios is not based on preferences, but on the framework of 5 previously approved criteria; financial-functional criteria with a weight of 30%), economic (20%), demographic (20%), distance and access (15%) and socio-cultural cohesion (15%) ./CNA