Prime Minister Edi Rama on Wednesday brought together the mayors of municipalities governed by the ruling Socialist Party in Kuç, Vlora, for the first meeting since the publication of the government majority’s draft for a new administrative-territorial reform.

The meeting is also attended by State Minister for Local Government Ervin Demo and Arbjan Mazniku, co-chair of the parliamentary special commission overseeing the reform.

The commission failed to produce a politically consensual draft, with the Socialist majority subsequently presenting its own proposal. The government plan calls for the merger of 15 municipalities, reducing the total number of municipalities in Albania from 61 to 46. The opposition Democratic Party, meanwhile, has proposed a map featuring 100 municipalities.

The government’s proposal has faced opposition in most of the municipalities affected by the planned reorganization. The main concern is that merging local government units could move public services farther away from communities and concentrate them in larger, central municipalities.

Following the criticism, Rama publicly called on mayors and citizens to take part in a broad consultation process. The draft reform was distributed to all municipalities, which have held meetings with local communities in recent weeks to gather proposals and concerns.

Wednesday’s meeting is expected to give mayors an opportunity to present their positions and recommendations. Their feedback could be incorporated into the final version of the reform before it is submitted to Parliament for approval.

In an effort to address concerns over the potential withdrawal of local administration from areas that would lose their municipal status, the Socialist majority has said that a deputy mayor would continue to operate in each municipality slated for merger. The measure is intended to preserve an institutional presence and maintain direct contact between local authorities and residents.