Balla from the Parliament rostrum: The territorial reform is voted on today, we guarantee the 46 new municipalities better services

The head of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, defended the draft law on the new administrative-territorial reform from the Parliament rostrum, confirming that the majority will pass the new map with 46 municipalities in a vote today.

During his speech in the plenary session, Balla declared that the reduction of local units is being done in the interest of improving public services and transferring new powers to local government. “The difference between us and you is that you care about the mayor, we care about the citizen. We guarantee the citizens of the 46 new municipalities better public services,” he said during the debates with the opposition.

The SP group leader also left the door open to alternative proposals from the opposition in the coming weeks, while saying that the DP’s requests for motions and interpellations outside the agenda were attempts to avoid a substantive discussion.

Balla’s statement reconfirms the majority’s determination to carry the vote on the new territorial map through to the end during today’s session, despite the high tensions inside the plenary hall and the tear-gas clashes outside the parliament building.