Erion Braçe openly came out in Parliament against the way territorial reform is being handled, signaling a clash not simply over the administrative map, but over the political logic that, according to him, is repeating the mistakes of 2014. The Socialist Party MP placed the emphasis on the impact the changes could have on citizens’ lives and on the lack of consistent standards in local government.
Braçe ties his position to representing voters
In his speech from the Parliament podium, Braçe recalled his beginnings as an MP in Poliçan and his relationship with citizens who, according to him, have supported him over the years.
He spoke of a direct connection with residents of Poliçan, Berat, Kuçova and later Kavaja, presenting that relationship as a reason not to view the reform simply as moving borders on paper.
Criticism of a return to the 2014 model
At the center of his intervention was territorial reform, about which Braçe said the country is returning to the same 2014 scheme. According to him, in local government there have been “experiments after experiments,” while the debate over the map is being dominated by political calculations rather than principles.
He raised doubts about an approach that sees the administrative map as an instrument for producing votes, warning that this is exactly what happened in the previous reform as well.
“It is not only borders that are changing, but people’s lives”
Braçe insisted that such a reform cannot be treated lightly, as the consequences fall on citizens who build their lives around the existing structures of services and local representation.
His message was direct: according to the Socialist MP, this map is not simply shifting administrative boundaries, but affecting people’s lives. In his view, this requires more political and institutional responsibility than decision-making based on the moment.
Competences without a budget and missing information
Another critical point in Braçe’s speech was the way competences have been transferred to municipalities. He said that 46 competences are today at the local level, but have been transferred without a budget or with insufficient funding.
He also implied that the process has suffered from a lack of full information during the discussions, calling into question the professional and financial basis on which this law is being supported.
Braçe’s intervention highlighted tensions within the majority over a topic that directly affects the organization of local government and the electoral interests that have accompanied it for years.
If the government presents the reform as a necessary administrative review, the Socialist MP’s intervention showed that not everyone within the majority is ready to accept that version without reservations.