Prime Minister Edi Rama held another meeting in Berat as part of the public consultation on the administrative-territorial reform, a process that directly affects the organization of local government and how the distribution of services is justified. According to the government’s version, the reorganization aims at efficiency and greater development, but Rama’s own statements show that there is no shortage of objections on the ground.
The meeting in Berat and the government’s message
During his stop in Berat, Rama presented the new territorial division as part of a reorganization that, according to him, does not harm the delivery of services to citizens in Poliçan, Dimal and other local units.
He insisted that the intervention is aimed at more efficient administration and the creation of greater opportunities for development and investment in the territory, an argument the government is using as the main pillar of this consultation.
The objections also surfaced in Rama’s own language
However, the way the prime minister described the meeting suggests that the discussion was not merely formal. In a public reaction, he referred to the “collective stubbornness” of Poliçan and the “persistence” of some women from Dimal, essentially acknowledging that the proposal is not being received without reservations in all the affected areas.
This makes even more important the question of whether the consultation is truly being conducted to hear communities, or whether it is being used more to support a scheme predetermined by the center.
What is being claimed for the territorial reform
According to the government, the reorganization of local units does not undermine existing services but, on the contrary, will bring better management and greater potential for investment. So far, however, no concrete detail has been made public in this communication on how these benefits will be measured in specific areas such as Poliçan or Dimal.
In the absence of full details on the practical effects, the debate remains closely tied to the credibility of institutional promises and to the concerns local communities may have about representation, distance from services and control over local development.
A debate that directly affects local government
The administrative-territorial reform is not simply a matter of maps or names. It affects how municipalities are organized, how resources are distributed and how much voice communities have in decision-making.
For this reason, any claim of efficiency requires more than political phrasing. The objections voiced in Berat show that the new territorial division remains a sensitive issue, where the government must face concrete questions and not only the usual development narrative.
Rama’s statement in Berat confirms that the process is being accompanied by local reservations, especially in Poliçan and Dimal. So far, the government is defending the idea that the changes will bring efficiency, while the affected communities appear to be seeking more guarantees and fewer slogans.