Romanian authorities confirm Chisinau mayor banned; Ceban alleges “political scheming”
Ion Ceban, the mayor of Chisinau, was banned from entering Romania and the entire schengen area for five years. This information was officially confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) in Bucharest. In response, Ion Ceban stated, "What we see in the public space is a political scheming from Maia Sandu and her regime, the PAS regime."
"National security considerations"
For reasons related to national security, Romania has decided to deny entry into its territory for Mr. Ion Ceban and two other citizens of the Republic of Moldova. This decision is made by the competent institutions in Romania, in accordance with existing regulations, according to representatives of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The authorities in Bucharest have not disclosed the identities of the other two Moldovans who were denied access, but media reports suggest they may be former Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev and journalist Natalia Morari.
Ion Ceban responded to this news in a video posted on his Facebook page, accusing the government and President Maia Sandu of coordinated actions aimed at discrediting and intimidating political opponents.
“What we are witnessing is a political scheming orchestrated by Maia Sandu and her regime, the PAS government, which lacks results at the national level and resorts to various tricks to maintain power. They use state institutions, the media, trolls, and bloggers,” declared Ion Ceban.
He claimed that the pressure on him has been ongoing and has now escalated: “They have reached the point of banging their fists on the table and slamming their feet on the floor, personally lobbying for my exclusion in any form.”
Ceban also warned that “the dirtiest parliamentary electoral campaign in the history of the Republic of Moldova” is on the horizon.
The "Alternativa" Political Bloc, formed by the National Alternative Movement (MAN) led by Ceban, the Party for the Development and Consolidation of Moldova (PDCM), the Civic Congress, and former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, believes that this ban is part of a series of “repressive actions” being prepared by the current government against Ion Ceban and his party.
Representatives of the bloc assert that Maia Sandu's government views the mayor of the capital as “the only real threat” and believes that this situation reflects Ceban's significant contributions to “the modernisation of Chisinau.”
Adrian Băluțel, the Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Moldova, dismissed the accusations made by Ion Ceban and the "Alternativa" Bloc as “political.”
“The matter should be addressed by the institutions that imposed these bans, and therefore, the Presidency will not comment on these statements,” Băluțel stated in a post on social media.
"Ceban is an agent of the Russian Federation"
WatchDog.MD expert Andrei Rusu emphasized that Ion Ceban, the mayor of Chisinau, has been a strong opponent of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova.
In 2014, he protested in Brussels against the Association Agreement with the European Union. That same winter, he supported an illegal referendum in Gagauzia, where the majority of Gagauzians expressed their desire for separation from the Republic of Moldova if it moved closer to the EU. This occurred during a critical time when Russia annexed Crimea and instigated the conflict in Donbas. In 2019, Ceban received assistance from the Russian FSB to secure his position as mayor of Chisinau. On February 24, 2022, when Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine with ambitions of reaching Chisinau, Ceban was in Moscow. To this day, he has not publicly explained his presence in the capital of a hostile nation just before the invasion.
Rusu also pointed out that Ceban recently attempted to bring individuals with links to Russian security forces, athletes from regions occupied by Russia, and those propagating pro-war sentiments to a kickboxing championship held in Chisinau.
Moreover, not only were members of Ceban’s party but also socialists, the Shor criminal group, and individuals like Grigore Caramalac, alias Bulgaru, dissatisfied that Russians were prohibited from entering Moldova. Romania’s ban indicates that Ceban is viewed as an unreliable partner in the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova. Romania, as a European state, is clearly signalling that Ceban is an agent of the Russian Federation! concluded the WatchDog.MD expert.
Three parties and a bloc
Ion Ceban, the current mayor of Chisinau, is serving his second term and has a political career characterized by significant ideological shifts and active participation in key political events. Over the years, he transitioned from the Party of Communists (PCRM) to the Party of Socialists (PSRM) and eventually founded his own party, the National Alternative Movement (MAN), which promotes a pro-European agenda.
Ceban began his political career as a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova after being elected on the PCRM list in 2010. In September 2012, he held a press conference announcing his departure from the PCRM to join the political project initiated by his former colleagues, Igor Dodon and Zinaida Greceanîi, in the PSRM. At that time, he denied being coerced into leaving the PCRM. Following the November 2014 elections, he became a deputy on the PSRM list.
During this period, Ceban protested in Brussels against the signing of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU and supported the illegal referendum in Gagauzia in 2014 regarding "accession" to Russia.
From 2015 to 2019, Ceban served as a municipal councilor in Chisinau and led the PSRM faction in the Municipal Council, relinquishing his deputy mandate. Between 2016 and 2018, he also worked as a presidential advisor to President Igor Dodon and served as a spokesperson for the Presidency.
In 2018, Ion Ceban ran for the position of general mayor of the capital, reaching the second round but ultimately losing to Andrei Năstase. He returned to the electoral race in 2019 and won the mayoralty of Chisinau.
In December 2022, Ceban founded the National Alternative Movement (MAN), a center-left and pro-European party. In the 2023 local elections, MAN garnered a significant share of the vote and became the leading political force in the Chisinau Municipal Council.
Journalistic investigations revealed that in 2019, Ion Ceban received electoral support in Chisinau from political technology experts connected to Russian special services. Ceban has denied these allegations.
In 2022, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in destabilizing the Republic of Moldova, including Ilan Shor and Vlad Plahotniuc. Although Ceban was not sanctioned, his party, MAN, was referenced by US authorities due to suspicions of receiving Russian support.
On January 31, 2025, Ion Ceban, Alexandr Stoianoglo, Ion Chicu, and Mark Tkaciuk announced the formation of the "Alternativa" political bloc. On June 25, the Central Electoral Commission "conditionally" registered the "Alternativa" electoral bloc to participate in the parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025.
