www.mediafax.ro/politic/ministrul-dezvoltarii-429-

The Minister of Development, Alexandru Stoica, announced a plan to merge 429 small localities due to financial sustainability issues, starting from the 2028 elections. The initiative aims to encourage voluntary unification through investments and tax incentives. Localities with fewer than 1,500 residents are targeted, but larger ones can also merge. Stoica supports mandatory mergers for small localities and suggests exceptions for referendums in such cases. The ministry is considering tax relief and additional investments to facilitate voluntary mergers. Discussions on the specifics of the reform will involve various stakeholders, and the impact on local staff will be assessed individually.