„The autonomous territorial unit with special legal status” Gagauzia was created in 1995 as “a form of the Gagauzia people’s external self-determination”.By giving to ATU Gagauzia a special legal regime, the Moldovan legislature demonstrated a preferential interpretation of the concept of local autonomy. A local territorial collectivity of the II level acquired, on the basis of ethnicity, a high degree of autonomy compared to similar local territorial collectivities. The following consequences of ATU Gagauzia creation are outlined: the establishment of the privileged conditions of development for a local territorial collectivity on the basis of ethnical principle; fostering the collective rights for ethnic minorities; the territorial fragmentation of the administrative territorial units; the discrimination and marginalization of Moldovans from localities of Gagauzia; awarding expanded powers to the Assembly of Gagauzia comparative to the district Councils; the influence of the external factors on the processes from Gagauzia; fostering the isolationist and separatist tendencies. The European option of Moldova requires the shift of emphasis to the local initiative and strengthening the regional centers, being necessary a rethinking of the existing administrativeterritorial structure. It is clear that current territorial fragmentation does not contribute to the local economic development and it does not favor to the formation of the cooperative relationships between central authorities and local ones. Therefore, the need of territorial administrative delimitation reform is obvious. Moldova should avoid the award of special autonomies based on the ethnic principles or under the pro-imperial pressure. The reform should be carried out in the spirit of the principles of the European Charter of Local SelfGovernment.
Vol.27. Cluj-Napoca: LIMES & Argonaut, 2014, p.34-49.