Romania to begin voluntary merger of small rural communities
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Alexandru Stoica, the Romanian Minister of Development, announced a plan to merge over 400 small administrative units with fewer than 1,500 inhabitants.
The government intends to start this process voluntarily, offering fiscal incentives to local leaders who agree to the reorganization. The ministry plans to establish a fund to cover taxes and building fees for participating communities for a period of 3 to 5 years. These areas will also receive priority for central government funding and investments.
Stoica noted that local mayors and citizens can decide whether to join the merger through local referendums. Even communities with 2,000 to 3,000 residents may choose to merge voluntarily despite not being part of the primary target group. If local administrations refuse the voluntary phase, the government will make the mergers mandatory starting March 1, 2027. The reorganization must be completed before the local elections in 2028.
The minister stated that the selection of communities was based on 2023 data and did not account for the political affiliations of the mayors. Regarding the workforce, Stoica explained that the new larger administrations will likely absorb most employees from the dissolved units. He suggested that as older workers naturally retire over the next 4 to 5 years, the system will manage the surplus of staff.
The ministry expects thousands of people to leave the public system naturally during this period, which will help balance the staffing levels across different regions.
