Romania bans Schengen entry for alleged pro-Russian Chisinau mayor

The mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, was banned from entering Romania, as well as the entire Schengen area, for a period of 5 years, according to Ziarul de Garda, quoting official sources in Romania.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a press release that, for reasons related to national security, Romania has ordered the measure of not allowing entry into the national territory for Ion Ceban and two other citizens of the Republic of Moldova.

"The decision is the responsibility of the competent institutions in Romania, in accordance with the regulations in force on the matter. The measure is a ban on access to the Schengen area," the statement reads.

The statement follows contradictory information circulated during the day, originating from the same ministry.

Romanian authorities have previously stated to G4Media.ro that they have not imposed a ban on entry into Romania in the case of the mayor of Chisinau, but it is possible that there will be a decision at the European level. Internal sources confirmed to the publication that the ban imposed on Ion Ceban was not imposed by Romania but was imposed at the European level.

Ion Ceban made his debut in politics with the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), a center-left party known for promoting rapprochement with the Russian Federation.

A few months later, Ceban announced that he was leaving Vladimir Voronin's PCRM to join Igor Dodon's PSRM, which had also dissociated itself from the communists just a few months earlier, but he did not give up on the idea of ​​"destroying the Alliance for European Integration."

In 2019, Ceban ran again to become mayor of the capital and managed to reach the position, which he will retain after the 2023 local elections.

Two years after being elected mayor of the capital for the first time with the support of the PSRM, Ion Ceban announced, from the tribune of Chisinau City Hall, that he was leaving the socialists and launching the National Alternative Movement (MAN), which, according to him, "will be an alternative to the current government."

During his second term as mayor, Ceban changed his rhetoric, suddenly becoming pro-European. However, although in public Ceban declared that he had become a supporter of European integration, a document drafted by the United States of America in 2022 placed the party led by Ceban among the entities through which the Russian Federation, through the person of FSB agent Iurii Gudilin, would try to influence the political situation in the Republic of Moldova.