Romanian government launches major administrative reform to merge small localities

Romania is preparing its first large-scale administrative overhaul since 1967 under the START Administrative Reform program, announced by the Luca Niculescu government. Development Minister Alexandru Stoica said the initiative will encourage voluntary consolidation of small communes, targeting roughly 429 local administrative units that struggle financially. Participating communities will receive financial support, investment bonuses, and guarantees to maintain local service points after merging.

The reform seeks to create larger, more sustainable municipalities with higher-quality public services. The package also proposes structural changes such as unifying the national tax agency with the customs authority and reducing the overall count of state bodies.