As local elections draw closer, one of the most sensitive debates over local administration is returning: how many municipalities Albania should have under a new territorial division. The issue is not only technical. It affects representation, the functionality of local government, and the way taxpayer funds are managed at the local level.
The political deadline is narrowing
The debate is gaining weight also because of the electoral calendar. If the new territorial division is not approved before the municipal elections expected to be held in about 10 months, the change would be postponed for another term.
This turns the reform into a decision with direct political impact, not simply an administrative one. The closer the elections get, the stronger the pressure becomes for a formula that can pass politically, not necessarily for the most institutionally balanced option.
How the administrative map has changed over time
Historically, Albania has gone through several models of territorial organization. From independence until World War II, the country was divided into prefectures, sub-prefectures, municipalities and communes, based on geographic, historical and economic criteria.
During the communist period, this scheme was gradually replaced with 26 districts, administered by executive committees. Later, after the change of system, a model returned with 12 counties, 36 districts, municipalities and communes, where local leaders were elected directly by citizens.
Why 36 municipalities remains a debated formula
In 2014, according to the political version of the time, the idea was put forward that the country should have 36 municipalities, one for each district. But parliamentary negotiations produced a different map, with 61 municipalities.
After a decade in operation, concerns have been raised that some of the smaller municipalities have not delivered the expected results. This is precisely where the question returns as to whether some units should be merged into larger municipalities, or whether the 61-unit model is being kept standing more by political compromises than by real efficiency.
Between history, population and the ability to survive financially
What is under discussion is not only the boundaries on the map, but also the criteria that will be used. If only historical, geographic and economic elements are taken as the basis, the logic of 36 municipalities is seen as reasonable.
But in practice, other filters also come into play: population density, functionality, fiscal capacity and the ability to absorb investment funds. This complicates the formula. For example, Kamza and Vora may be linked with Tirana in a classic territorial reading, but other factors may be used to justify keeping them as separate municipalities. The same dilemma is also mentioned for Malësia e Madhe and Vau i Dejës.
On the other hand, there are cases such as Mirdita, where historical weight is seen as a strong argument even if the other criteria may not be as convincing. This shows that the decision-making is not expected to be simply a matter of administrative arithmetic.
Beyond 36 and the idea of regions
From the arguments presented, it appears that the final option may not stop at 36 municipalities, but could produce a higher number. This would be a hybrid solution between the logic of consolidation and local realities that can hardly fit into a single scheme.
At the same time, a second phase is also mentioned, that of division into regions, which is not directly linked to the local elections in spring 2027. In this scenario, there is talk of four large regions: Northern, Central, Southeastern and Southwestern. But here too, beyond the theoretical map, the essential question remains: how much the reform will serve better administration and how much it will serve the political reshaping of the territory.
The debate over the new territorial division is expected to accelerate in the coming months, as the electoral deadline narrows the room for delayed decisions.
At its core, the issue is not only how many municipalities the country will have, but whether the reform will be built on the real needs of communities or on the calculations of the political moment.