Study Visit from Moldova
SALAR and SALAR International recently hosted a study visit from Moldova including mayors, representatives from the State Chancellery, the Parliamentery Committee on Public Administration, Ministry of Finance, EGA and the Bureau for European Integration. As Moldova navigates its reform process, SALAR International provided a space for the delegation to learn about Swedish knowledge and experiences from municipal government as a pathway into meaningful support for public administration reform connected to EU accession.
Södertälje municipality was in focus due to its unique history as a success story for digitalisation, EU project financing for sustainable food production while also being a standout example of what can be achieved with political consensus on societal integration and education. Moldova is at the apex of its reform process after recently voting on deeper EU integration. The challenge now for Moldova is to push ahead and continue the amalgamation process started in 2023. Without it, Moldova will almost certainly be more susceptible to a diluted EU integration, as most of the current 896 municipalities are not large enough in terms of population to access and apply for EU funds for local infrastructure and investments.
The SALAR International engagement will focus on newly amalgamated, amalgamating municipalities as well as those municipalities that see the potential benefits of amalgamation and express an interest for thematic support in citizen-centred service provision, scaled up digitalisation of local services (eAPL) and EU funding mechanisms. There is also potential to zoom in on strengthening the capacity of LPAs in border areas that have already built up high levels of resilience in light of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and that are interested in embracing the benefits of EU accession.
With that in mind, Swedish municipalities such as Södertälje and others can play a strong role through showcasing their own learnings and offering guidance to build up a responsive and resilient local government. The Moldovan delegation were particularly interested in the rollout of Södertälje’s digitalisation initiatives, as the country pursues its own technical advances to underpin the implementation of its public administration reform strategy 2023-30.
The road is, perhaps long to reach this goal and not without its challenges, but SALAR intends to support its Moldovan partners every step of the way. Through its unique position as a bridge between Swedish municipalities and its mandate to support reform cooperation in Sweden’s partner countries, SALAR International is well placed to be a key partner for Moldova.
Photo of Victor Ambroci, Mayor of Călărași and Boel Godner, Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board in Södertälje Municipality