Liberal lawmakers say applicants for nationality should take Romanian history exam

A group of Liberal MPs proposed introducing the exam in the history of Romanians for the applicants for Moldovan nationality. The legislative initiative was discussed in a meeting of the parliamentary commission on human rights and interethnic relations, which rejected the amendments suggested to the Law on Moldovan Nationality, Info-Prim Neo reports. The law provides that the applicants must have only a discussion in the official language with a special commission. The authors of the initiative say the applicants must take an exam in the official language and in the country’s history. The commission’s secretary, unaffiliated MP Veronica Abramchuck was against amending the law. “I analyzed the practices of other countries. In no country do the applicants for nationality study the history of the country and take exams. Moreover, it is not clear what history of Romanians they should study, of Moldova or of Romania,” she said. According to her, the statistical data show that many people leave the country and few people come. There are cases when the member of a family who is a foreign national wants to get Moldovan nationality, but does not manage to. Thus, they give up, take the family and go to live in the country of origin The commission’s head, Communist MP Vadim Misin said the applicants for U.S. nationality also do not need to know the history. A requirement is to know the Constitution of the U.S., as in any other normal country. Communist lawmaker Oleg Babenko said Romania annulled the exam in the official language for granting nationality. Most of the MPs voted against the initiative. Elena Frumosu, of the Liberal group, abstained, while the second Liberal MP on the commission, Ion Hadarca was absent from the meeting. Other commissions will discuss the bill before it is debated in Parliament. The amendments to the Law on Moldovan Nationality were put forward by the Liberal MPs Ana Gutu, Valeriu Munteanu, Boris Vieru, Oleg Bodrug, and Corina Fusu on November 8.