Ion Ceban

Ion Ceban (born 30 June 1980) is a Moldovan politician. He is the current mayor of Chișinău, Moldova's capital. He is also the leader of the pro-European National Alternative Movement party (Mișcarea Alternativa Națională or MAN). Ceban was Vice President of the Parliament of Moldova in 2019 and has served as a member of parliament in three legislatures. From 2015 to 2019, he led his party's faction in the Chișinău Municipal Council. He has held different positions at the governmental level, ranging from department head to Deputy Minister.

He was declared undesirable on the territory of Romania—and, by extension, throughout the Schengen Area—through an official decision announced on July 9, 2025, by the Romanian authorities, who invoked reasons related to national security. The entry ban is valid for a period of five years and was issued based on assessments made by national security structures. No public details were provided regarding the nature of the risks identified. In response to the entry ban, Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban's lawyers demanded its reversal and filed an appeal with the Bucharest Court of Appeal, seeking its suspension until the case is heard. During a press conference on August 13, they described the ban as "unjustified and a violation of human rights." Attorneys Irina Șerban and Ion Dragne presented evidence to prove the unlawfulness of the decision and argued that it violated basic principles. Dragne further emphasized that they requested the suspension of the ban and hoped the authorities would recognize their mistake. Ceban himself called the ban "an entirely political decision" tied to Moldova's upcoming parliamentary elections.