Nicușor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest and a presidential candidate, has expressed strong reservations about how Romania's administrative and territorial reorganization is being discussed after the Social Democrats said they intend to draft a project in this sense. He emphasized the need for a methodical and data-driven approach and said the reform should not be rushed. 

"Administrative and territorial reorganization cannot be done in party headquarters or hastily, with the sole aim of reducing costs. This is an extremely serious topic that must be addressed at the table with specialists and based on well-founded studies," Dan stated.

The Bucharest mayor also stressed the importance of relying on concrete data and conducting thorough analyses before appointing anyone to implement such changes.

"The political factor should only be brought into discussion after we have the necessary information and solutions that address the citizens' needs," Dan said.

Further on, he highlighted critical factors that must be examined, such as the distances from development centers, the viability of rural communes, and the existing inefficiencies between major cities like Bucharest or Cluj and their neighboring localities.

"Even the communists spent nearly two years before 1968 studying how to reorganize Romania's territory. Even in those times, analyses were conducted on the balance between counties, population, and industrial development," mayor Nicușor Dan concluded.

Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), announced on January 13 plans to initiate a legislative project for Romania's administrative and territorial reorganization during the parliamentary session set to begin in February. 

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Malina Norocea)