Ramona Strugariu, former Romanian MEP and current director of the National Institute of Justice (INJ) of the Republic of Moldova, has taken the oath to obtain Moldovan citizenship at the Moldovan embassy in Brussels. She made the announcement in an interview with Radio Chisinau.

Strugariu explained that, although the law allows EU citizens to hold positions in Moldova, she wanted to obtain citizenship in order to give more legitimacy to her mandate, IPN reports.

"I wanted citizenship very much. It was a very conscious choice," said Ramona Strugariu, adding that as a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, she fully assumed her mandate as director of INJ.

"I received my citizenship quickly. I am honored and grateful that this happened. As a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, it is with full responsibility that I started on this path", Ramona Strugariu added.

Earlier, her appointment to the post sparked public debate, as she was not a Moldovan citizen at the time of her appointment. Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru explained that Moldovan citizenship was not required by law for the position, and that the selection procedure had been respected. On February 25, 2025, President Maia Sandu signed the decree granting Moldovan citizenship to Ramona Strugariu.