The examination of the budget of the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development was marked by a debate around the future reform of decentralization, known as Act 4. The deputies directly questioned the government on the grey areas of the project, while the minister tried to reassure, stating that "nothing will be undertaken without a serious evaluation of Act 3".

"We want a complete overview of Act 3."

Several members of parliament demanded that, before any new reforms, the government present a precise assessment of the third phase of the reform. "We can't move on to phase 4 when we don't even know what worked or failed in phase 3," one parliamentarian declared. Another added, "Local authorities are still waiting for the resources to fulfill their responsibilities. We can't ask them to do more with less." The debate focused primarily on the territorial hubs, the implementation of which raises many questions.

Members of Parliament asked: “Why is there no budget allocation for 2026?” “Where did the €6 billion allocated for 2025 go?” “Do these new hubs mean the elimination or merging of municipalities?” One elected official warned: “We don’t want to discover tomorrow that some local authorities are disappearing under the pretext of streamlining.” The administrative divisions were also criticized. “Municipalities have been created without a population, without an economy, without any territorial justification. This must stop,” stated one MP, calling for mergers and eliminations where necessary. Others emphasized the need for a clear status for local elected officials, as well as a reform of the succession process for village chiefs and neighborhood delegates, which they deemed archaic.

In response to these questions, the minister stated: "We will not move to Act 4 without national consultation." The minister sought to allay concerns. "I tell you here: nothing will be done hastily. Act 4 will only take place after a complete and inclusive evaluation of Act 3."

The minister explained the lack of a budget allocation for 2026: “The regional development hubs are still in the study phase. The 6 billion euros allocated for 2025 were used to finance assessments, preparatory work, and the development of the intervention framework.” He rejected any idea of automatically eliminating municipalities: “No local authority will be eliminated without consulting the population and without objective criteria.” Regarding the administrative divisions, he noted that “Yes, there are inconsistencies,” the minister admitted. “We will correct them methodically and through dialogue. No abrupt changes.” The minister also announced: “We are working on a status for local elected officials adapted to current realities.” Concerning village chiefs: “The reform of their succession process is underway and will be harmonized at the national level.”