14 mayors and deputy mayors from Moldova strengthened their leadership skills at a regional M4EG workshop
Fourteen mayors and deputy mayors from the Republic of Moldova participated on 11–12 February 2026 in the workshop “Mayors – Leaders of Transformational Change”, where they learned techniques and tools to turn challenges into opportunities, developed strategy models for engaging local stakeholders in community development, and strengthened their leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
The workshop was organised under the “Mayors for Economic Growth” (M4EG) initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The event was held simultaneously in four locations — Orhei, Kyiv, Skopje, and Yerevan — bringing together mayors and deputy mayors from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kosovo.
The aim of the workshop was to develop and strengthen mayors’ leadership capacities so they can better address the challenges faced by local communities, including economic resilience, the transition to a green economy, digital transformation, social inclusion, and energy crises.
“For me, the workshop was a true school of leadership. As a mayor, I am used to making decisions and coordinating complex processes, but here I learned to look at challenges from a new perspective — to distinguish between technical issues and those that require deeper changes in mindsets and behaviour,” said Leonid Boaghi, mayor of Sireți.
Other participants highlighted the importance of community engagement in transformation and local development processes. In the same vein, Alexandru Bujorean, mayor of Leova, emphasised the role of dialogue and collaboration with local stakeholders.
“The workshop provided not only knowledge but also a space to reflect on my role as a leader. I better understood how to engage local actors based on people’s needs. In my community, these lessons will turn into concrete actions for development and inclusion,” he said.
Other mayors stressed the need to change mindsets and strengthen cooperation to address current challenges. “As a mayor, I know that people expect quick solutions, but I realised that some challenges require more — a change in how we think and collaborate. The workshop gave me clarity and confidence that we can build together a more resilient and future-ready community,” said Oleg Garizan, mayor of Copceac.
The M4EG initiative, launched in 2017, is funded by the European Union.
