However, in practice, the expected period of validity can exceed 5-6 years, which deprives hundreds of thousands of Bessarabians of the opportunity to obtain Romanian citizenship, writes profit.ro.
Law No. 14/2025, which entered into force on March 15, 2025, also applies to previously submitted applications, which caused protests and numerous objections.
Thus, on August 6, 2025, the Bucharest Tribunal decided to send a preliminary request to the Court of Justice of the European Union to clarify the compatibility of this retroactive extension with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the EU.
The claimants invoke a violation of the principle of legitimate expectations and the right to an effective remedy, emphasizing that the change of rules “at play” affects their real chances of becoming Romanian citizens and, indeed, citizens of the European Union.
The case was initiated on the complaint of a Moldovan citizen who challenged in court the retroactive extension of the time limit for the examination of his application. Romanian judges found it necessary to refer to the CJEU to determine whether national legislation made it impossible or unreasonably difficult to obtain citizenship and whether the measure was proportionate to the aim pursued by the authorities.
The arguments cited were previous decisions in the Rottman and Tiebbes cases, which set limits on legislative changes affecting citizenship.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has not yet ruled as the case is at an early stage. However, the appeal to the CJEU puts pressure on the Bucharest authorities, who may be forced to adjust legislation if it is found to be incompatible with European legislation.
In parallel, the Citizenship Law No. 14/2025 is also being challenged in Romania, including in the Constitutional Court, where questions are being raised about the proportionality of the time limits and the new conditions imposed on applicants. However, the law remains in force until a final decision is rendered and has a direct impact on tens of thousands of cases.
