The Local Government Code has been submitted to Parliament and is expected to be discussed by the relevant parliamentary committee next week, with a view to being brought before the full House for a vote in June.
As stated by the Ministry of the Interior, the Local Government Code consolidates and modernizes nearly 2,000 scattered provisions covering every aspect of the operation of the country’s municipalities and regions.
Regarding the ten most significant changes in local government, the Ministry of the Interior has highlighted that:
1. Fifteen (15) years after their establishment, the country’s regions had not acquired a unified legislative framework, with the result that they were simultaneously governed by provisions concerning central government agencies, the former state regions, and the elected prefectures. In many cases, the same issue could fall under the jurisdiction of more than one body, without a clear hierarchy, a situation that led to inefficiency and confusion. This ends with the enactment of the unified Local Government Code for municipalities and regions.
2. Citizen participation in the organization and activities of municipalities. Establishment of a consultative municipal referendum conducted via electronic voting, with institutional safeguards for the process. Upgrading youth councils, with clear rules for their election and an electronic voting process.
3. Strengthening the transparency and accountability of elected bodies. The obligation to publish decisions, the use of digital media, and the strengthening of oversight mechanisms contribute to creating a framework that enhances citizens’ trust in the administration.
4. Reorganization of the governance system of municipalities and regions. By clarifying the responsibilities of local government’s collective bodies (municipal and regional councils, municipal and regional committees, other committees and advisory bodies) and establishing uniform operating rules, the aim is to improve efficiency and avoid conflicts of jurisdiction.
5. Efficiency and transparency in the operation of financial services, so as to avoid creating gray areas open to multiple interpretations.
6. An objective and targeted system for reviewing the legality (and under no circumstances the expediency) of local government actions and administrative bodies, through the operation of an integrated information system and the Independent Local Government Legality Review Service.
7. Clear definition of the statutory status of local government administrative bodies, namely regarding remuneration and representation expenses, the suspension of their professional activities, or the requirement to obtain special permission.
8. Recording and systematizing the responsibilities of municipalities and regions within the framework of multilevel governance, with the aim of clearly allocating them among the different levels of administration. In this way, overlaps and gaps are avoided, while cooperation between levels of governance is strengthened for the benefit of citizens.
9. Reforming the method of electing local government authorities by abolishing the second round of elections and allowing electronic voting at special polling stations in the presence of a judicial representative, in order to strengthen the legitimacy of elected authorities and increase citizen participation.
10. Digital Transformation of Local Government. The Code makes a conscious choice to implement electronic applications to facilitate citizens’ participation in local government bodies, as well as to serve them in their daily interactions with local government. Thus, the Code provides for the creation of applications with multiple interoperabilities.