Court suspends Bucharest City Hall reorganization; Mayor Ciucu calls situation 'impossible'

Bucharest Mayor Ciprian Ciucu described the court's suspension of the city hall's reorganization as an "impossible" situation. The decision, which came two months after the reorganization began, has complicated the administration's functioning. Ciucu stated that during this period, staff had left and positions were eliminated, making the situation even more difficult.

Ciucu explained that the Bucharest City Hall's current staff structure, excluding subordinate units, includes 1,275 positions. He characterized this as a "huge" and "dysfunctional" organization with approximately 150 management positions, leading to a lack of accountability for public officials. He noted that the staff size had grown with each new mayor, who naturally brought in new personnel, resulting in an oversized and inefficient organigram.

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The current situation is impossible, especially since the decision came late, at a time when effects have already appeared in the institution.

He provided examples of the reorganization's impact, such as eliminating certain structures. Ciucu mentioned that 9 firefighters were previously idle and declined to take on new roles requiring work. The reorganization reduced management positions from 146 to 85, which he deemed more sensible, stating he could not effectively manage or evaluate 150 leaders.

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Bucharest City Hall has a staff structure – just the city hall apparatus, without subordinates – of 1275 positions! It is a huge structure, in which the responsibility of public officials is quasi-non-existent, with approx. 150 management positions.

The mayor highlighted that the institution had not undergone reform in 16 years, accumulating administrative problems. He pointed out that neither former mayors Gabriela Firea nor Nicușor Dan had attempted to streamline the city hall's operations, instead adding to its size. Ciucu took on the task of reforming the administration during his two-year term, a task unaddressed for 16 years since 2010. He anticipates resistance from employee networks and unions, which he claims have led to numerous lawsuits. He noted that while two previous court decisions favored the reorganization, one has now suspended it, resulting in a 2-1 score.

Ciucu criticized the timing of the suspension, arguing it should have occurred immediately, not after two months. He emphasized that the delay caused staff departures and the creation of new positions based on future needs (2026) rather than current or past ones (2010, 2018, 2022). He warned that the current situation jeopardizes investment plans and administrative reform efforts.

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If you start to suspend, you suspend immediately, within a week, NOT AFTER TWO MONTHS!