Constantin Toma warns that the administrative-territorial reform could be a PSD strategy for the 2028 elections: “The PSD thinks two or three moves ahead”

The mayor of the municipality of Buzău, Constantin Toma, stated on Wednesday that there is a “reasonable suspicion” that the administrative-territorial reform discussed recently could be used by the PSD to increase its chances in the 2028 elections.

The mayor argued that the Social Democrats might try to influence the future electoral map by reorganizing localities and that the party is “thinking two or three moves ahead.” In his view, the reform should not be adopted hastily or through the Government assuming responsibility, without a well-founded national project.

Constantin Toma proposed that the Romanian Academy coordinate the drafting of a national project concerning administrative-territorial reorganization, with the involvement of the President of Romania and all parliamentary parties. He said that decisions should pursue a gain for Romania, not merely an electoral advantage for a political formation.

The discussion is taking place in the context of Dragoș Benea’s statements, according to which the merger of small localities could lead, after the 2028 elections, to the elimination of approximately 15,000–18,000 positions of mayors, deputy mayors, and local councillors.

Toma warned that, if the reform is a PSD strategy, the party could end up having the most mayors and voters.

“Anything is possible, but if this idea comes from the PSD, the PSD is thinking two or three moves ahead. It will certainly be a PSD map for the 2028 elections. (…) And if they succeed in 2028, [the Social Democrats] will have the most mayors and the most voters,” Toma stated.