Appearances and Realities Concerning the Discriminatory Nature of Certain Provisions of the Citizenship Laws

Abstract

The conferral of citizenship constitutes an exclusive prerogative of public authority vested in the Romanian state, exercised under the principle of national sovereignty and in pursuit of the public interest. An individual applying for citizenship does not hold a subjective right in this regard but merely a legal vocation, which is conditional upon the cumulative fulfilment of the requirements established by law. The laws regarding citizenship that will be presented enshrine this approach, integrating provisions aimed at maintaining a balance between the state’s interest in determining the criteria and conditions for acquiring citizenship and the acknowledgment of historical, cultural, or social ties justifying the granting or reacquisition of citizenship.