The first public consultation meeting within the framework of territorial reform was held in Lezha, marking the start of a series of hearings across the country.
The co-chair of this reform, Arbjan Mazniku, described this as an important moment for opening a direct dialogue with citizens and local actors.
"It is an extraordinary privilege that today we hold the first public consultation meeting. This is the first of a series of hearings throughout Albania, to have an open and direct conversation with citizens and local stakeholders," said Mazniku.
According to him, most of the issues affecting citizens are directly related to local government.
“About 90% of the issues are related to the municipality. Daily life is related to local government and when people think about the state, they actually think about the daily interaction they have with the municipality,” he said.
Mazniku raised several key questions about the functioning of municipalities, focusing on their competencies, finances, and capacities.
"Do municipalities have all the competencies? Do they have the financial capabilities? What is the ratio between the revenues they collect themselves and those they receive from the government? Do they have sufficient technical resources to provide their services?" he stressed.
Mazniku added that this debate should not remain only at the political level, but should be developed directly with citizens, with the involvement of the entire political spectrum and representatives of the region.
Focusing on the current context, Mazniku emphasized that the country is at an important moment, on the verge of integration into the European Union, which is also related to the ability of municipalities to attract investments and cooperate effectively.
In conclusion, he underlined that the goal of this reform is to create a real space for discussion to identify problems and improve the functioning of local government, while the issue of territory remains an important, but secondary, element in this process.
