The Democratic Party has officially submitted to Parliament a draft law on territorial reform, seeking a reconfiguration of the local map into 100 municipalities and 12 counties. The proposal has thus entered the parliamentary track, in a debate that directly affects the organization of local government and the way communities in the country are administered.
What the submitted draft provides for
According to the draft submitted by the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group, Albania should be divided into 100 municipalities and 12 counties. The initiative has been officially filed in Parliament for review.
Together with the draft law, a 168-page explanatory report has also been submitted, in which, according to the Democratic Party, the legal and technical criteria of the new administrative-territorial division are addressed.
The opposition’s claims for the new model
According to the version presented by the Democratic Party, the reform aims for a new model of local governance, with an emphasis on decentralization, financial autonomy, and the redistribution of powers and responsibilities of local units.
Along the same lines, the opposition also presents the project as an intervention linked to territorial development, placing the debate not only on administrative borders, but also on the functioning of local government.
The consultations mentioned by the Democratic Party
The Democratic Party says the draft was prepared after consultations in the counties and after gathering citizens’ opinions. At this stage, this remains part of the political argument accompanying the submitted initiative.
Precisely how these consultations were carried out and to what extent they will actually be reflected in the parliamentary process is expected to be one of the points of debate over this draft.
Now the ball passes to Parliament
With the formal submission of the draft law and the accompanying report, the issue now moves to the review procedures in Parliament. This opens another political clash over the country’s administrative map, a topic that has historically produced debate over representation, efficiency, and control over local government.
At this stage, what exists is the opposition’s proposal submitted to Parliament. Any possible change to the territorial map will depend on the institutional handling and the political balance produced by this process.
The debate over territorial reform thus returns to the center of the political agenda, with a draft that directly affects the structure of local government and the relationship between the center and local units.
For now, what is on the table is the Democratic Party’s proposal for 100 municipalities and 12 counties; the hardest part remains whether this initiative will find a path beyond its formal submission to Parliament.