Albania’s Administrative-Territorial Reform: A Decade of Change and Debate
Albania’s administrative and territorial divisions have undergone constant transformation throughout history—from villages, prefectures, and sub-prefectures before World War II, to districts, towns, and communes during the communist era, and later, to municipalities and counties in the three decades of transition. Each reorganization reflected shifting political, economic, and demographic realities.
The most significant reform in recent history took place in July 2014, when the newly elected Socialist government launched the Administrative-Territorial Reform (ATR). Approved in Parliament with 88 votes in favor, 1 against, and 1 abstention—without the participation of the Democratic Party—the reform reduced the number of local government units from 373 (65 municipalities and 308 communes) to just 61 municipalities and 12 counties.
Goals of the 2014 Reform
The reform aimed to:
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Improve service delivery for citizens.
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Reduce bureaucracy and overlapping competencies between communes and municipalities.
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Consolidate public resources by cutting the number of local employees.
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Increase efficiency in education, fire protection, social services, forestry management, road maintenance, irrigation, and waste management.
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Strengthen municipalities’ financial autonomy and reduce administrative costs.
At the time, government officials presented the reform as a historic step, promising hundreds of millions of euros in savings and better public services.
Results After a Decade
Ten years later, the outcomes remain mixed and highly debated. On one hand, municipalities now have broader competencies and a more consolidated structure. On the other hand, economic and managerial challenges persist.
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Financial Struggles: Many municipalities face rising debt, threatening their sustainability.
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Public Services: Access to clean water remains problematic in rural areas. Waste management is inefficient, with high costs and persistent environmental problems.
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Human Resources: While the number of employees was reduced in some regions, payroll expenses have not decreased as expected.
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Governance Gap: Large differences remain between urban and rural municipalities in terms of capacity, salaries, and resources.
The European Commission has also highlighted that local governments in Albania continue to lack stable financial resources and administrative capacities, limiting their autonomy and the quality of services provided.
Calls for a New Reform
In 2022, opposition parties demanded a new territorial reorganization, proposing 92 municipalities and replacing 12 counties with 6 larger regions. The proposal was rejected by the ruling majority, which instead supports reducing the number of local units even further.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has entrusted Arbjan Mazniku with leading the commission to review the reform, with the goal of strengthening local autonomy, addressing rural depopulation, and improving service delivery.
Demographic Shifts and the Future of Local Governance
When the 2014 reform was drafted, it relied on the 2011 census, when Albania’s rural areas were still populated. However, the 2023 census shows a very different reality: mass migration, empty villages, and declining populations in many municipalities.
This raises a pressing question: Does the current map of 61 municipalities still reflect Albania’s demographic reality, or is a new reorganization inevitable?
Conclusion
More than a decade after its launch, Albania’s administrative-territorial reform remains a work in progress. While it has consolidated local structures, its promises of efficiency, better governance, and improved services have only been partially fulfilled. The upcoming review will determine whether Albania moves closer to a truly citizen-centered local government—or remains trapped in a system that exists more on paper than in practice.