TIRANA, Aug. 19 /ATA/ – Luçiano Boçi, co-chair of the Commission on Administrative-Territorial Reform, criticised a Socialist Party proposal to reduce the number of Albanian municipalities to 46 from 61 currently, saying larger local government units would widen the gap between citizens and local authorities.
Boçi said the proposal tabled by the ruling Socialists would increase centralisation and leave administrative centres farther from residents.
“With 46 municipalities, there would be more peripheral areas and fewer centres. Albania does not need ever-larger municipalities. It needs municipalities that work,” he said.
He rejected the idea that merging smaller municipalities would automatically strengthen local government, citing Tepelena and Memaliaj, Fushë-Arrëz and Pukë, and Librazhd and Prrenjas as examples.
According to Boçi, the main opposition Democratic Party’s alternative plan for around 100 municipalities aims to bring decision-making closer to citizens, preserve community identities and improve local services.
He said territorial reform should be measured not by the number of municipalities but by how effectively and how close to citizens services are delivered.
“Around 100 municipalities is not a numerical choice. It is a democratic choice,” Boçi said.
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