That is exactly the percentage of increase in the number of supporters of hromadas’ amalgamation after the DESPRO debates on the topic "Why should hromadas amalgamated?", held in the Kelmenets Rayon of the Chernivtsi Oblast.

Do you support the process of hromadas’ amalgamation? At the beginning of the traditional debates on "Why should hromadas amalgamate?", organised by the Swiss-Ukrainian project "Decentralisation Support in Ukraine", 45% of the audience answered negatively to this question. Instead, at the end of the event, the number of amalgamation opponents was only 10%. The debates took place in the urban-type settlement of Kelmenets of the Chernivtsi Oblast, which is the administrative centre of the rayon with no hromada established so far. This is the fourth such event, hosted by DESPRO: previously similar debates took place in the village of Krasnokutsk, Kharkiv Oblast, in the city of Zhovkva of the Lviv Oblast and in Ivano-Frankivsk city.

The discussion focused on the prospects for development of the educational sphere, healthcare sector and opportunities for activation of the local economic development of AHs, and was quite acute.

According to Petro Teleshman, local politicians really often block the amalgamation process.

With the help of special panel boards, the audience responded to a variety of questions related to the life of their settlements. Interestingly, 71% of the respondents answered “YES” to the question “Is infrastructure (rural health posts, schools, kindergartens, sports grounds, etc.) being restored in your settlement?”

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE

More information on the course of the debates in Kelments to be provided in the further materials of decentralisation.gov.ua.