Parliament has voted to declare a moratorium on the Moldovan Citizenship by Investment Program, IPN reports.

In particular, no new applications under the program will be accepted for a period of four months, with a potential extension of up to two more months. Applications submitted until the entry into force of this law will be further processed.

The Moldovan Citizenship by Investment Program was adopted by Parliament in November last year. Under the program, foreigners may acquire Moldovan citizenship by investing a minimum of 100,000 euros into a fund for sustainable development projects. So far, two applicants have become citizens, one from Australia and another one from India. There are currently 34 applications under examination.

The ACUM bloc has repeatedly criticized the scheme seeking its repeal, arguing that it brings substantial damage and carries many risks. According to them, the law "creates virtual citizenship, for which the Constitution is applied only in an acquisitive sense, but without entering into the sphere of fundamental duties that other citizens are expected to fulfill in accordance with the constitutional provisions".