---
title: "Moldovan village opposes mandatory merger after census population drop"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/83386/moldovan-village-opposes-mandatory-merger-after-census-population-drop
published: 2026-08-18T06:00:00Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "Regional"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldovan village opposes mandatory merger after census population drop

> Residents of Grimăncăuți, a village in northern Moldova's Briceni district, have voted in a local assembly to reject inclusion in the government’s administrative consolidation plan. Local leaders insist on keeping their independent municipal council, disputing recent official census figures that trigger a mandatory merger.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/8d8a589d-2490-4032-abaa-f7001db893de.jpg)

Residents of Grimăncăuți, a village in northern Moldova's Briceni district, have voted in a local assembly to reject inclusion in the government’s administrative consolidation plan. Local leaders insist on keeping their independent municipal council, disputing recent official census figures that trigger a mandatory merger.

Under Moldova's legal framework for administrative reform, no local government unit may operate with fewer than 3.000 residents following the upcoming general local elections. Official census records report Grimăncăuți's population at roughly 2.800, while local municipal registers account for over 3.400 permanent residents.

**Disputed figures trigger local resistance**

*"The law is the law and must be respected, but we must prove our true numbers,"* said former Briceni district president Victor Cerevatîi. *"If necessary, we will join hands to form a human chain across the locality to demonstrate our resolve."*

State Chancellery officials maintain that national census data remains the sole legal benchmark for territorial reform. Consequently, Grimăncăuți faces mandatory administrative amalgamation under criteria established by the central government.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/c908ee0e-6dfb-4135-8748-b11135f8ffda.jpg)

**Central authorities rule out legal exemptions**

*"Voluntary mergers are over, but no central authority can force a statutory merger upon us against our will,"* declared Grimăncăuți Mayor Valeriu Bandalac.

However, central government representatives emphasize that local municipal lists hold no legal standing against national statistics. Cristina Nistor, head of the Edineț Territorial Office of the State Chancellery, confirmed that Law No. 225 of 2023 provides no derogations or legal exceptions for localities below the statutory threshold.

Nearly 500 municipal councils across Moldova have already approved final decisions for voluntary amalgamation ahead of the August 31 deadline, according to government figures. Unmerged localities under the population limit will automatically transition into state-directed statutory consolidation.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/590c94d7-6760-4dec-9d47-62b11cbd660e.jpg)