Territorial Reform/ PS-Proposed Draft: 15 Municipalities to Be Dissolved

Members of Parliament from the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group who sit on the Special Parliamentary Committee on Administrative-Territorial Reform have submitted their proposal for Administrative-Territorial Reform 2.0 to Parliament.

Specifically, in its draft, the Socialist majority has proposed reducing the current number of municipalities from 61 to 46.

According to the PS, the new structure will consist of 46 municipalities, 71 constituent cities and 387 administrative units, while 20 municipalities will have more than one city.

What specifically will change, according to the PS?

The proposed model retains the municipality as the sole unit of local self-government, with one mayor, one council, one administration and a single budget.

As part of municipalities’ internal organization, in response to requests raised during the hearings, the findings of the experts’ analytical report and the need for a better model of representation, a new level of local organization will be created: the “City.”

In this way, the current “Municipality – Administrative Unit” structure will be replaced by the “Municipality – City – Administrative Unit” structure.

The city will assume a clearer role in planning, representation and the organization of services, with a deputy mayor responsible for administrative coordination.

In practice, 28 municipalities will be consolidated into 13 new municipalities.

This consolidation will reduce the total number of municipalities from 61 to 46. The new structure will consist of 46 municipalities, 71 constituent cities and 387 administrative units, while 20 municipalities will have more than one city.

Municipalities to be merged under the PS proposal:

-Fushë-Arrëz + Pukë → Pukë Municipality

-Klos + Mat → Mat Municipality

-Rrogozhinë + Kavajë → Kavajë Municipality

-Dimal + Berat + Poliçan → Berat Municipality

-Patos + Fier → Fier Municipality

-Divjakë + Lushnjë → Lushnjë Municipality

-Selenicë + Vlorë → Vlorë Municipality

-Maliq + Korçë → Korçë Municipality

-Këlcyrë + Përmet → Përmet Municipality

-Memaliaj + Tepelenë → Tepelenë Municipality

-Libohovë + Gjirokastër → Gjirokastër Municipality

-Cërrik + Elbasan + Belsh → Elbasan Municipality

-Prrenjas + Librazhd → Librazhd Municipality

Although the Special Parliamentary Committee on Administrative-Territorial Reform is bipartisan and is led by two co-chairs from the PS and the PD, the latter has yet to disclose its proposal.

Meanwhile, during one of the plenary sessions, the PD requested an extension of the committee’s mandate, while the Socialist Party opposed it.