The Vice Chancellor of Austria, Werner Kogler, who criticized Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s decision to oppose the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen, says that if the “same logic” that led to the veto decision in the case of our country were used, then Hungary would also should be excluded.
Werner Kogler, who is the leader of the Green Party, criticized the immigration policy of the governing partners in the People’s Party (ÖVP), led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, in an interview with the Kleine Zeitung publication.
“Objectively speaking, there are problems regarding migration, but they are only marginally related to Schengen. We, the Greens, are looking for solutions. (…) We have to admit. You cannot register 100,000 migrants in Austria and then find out that 75,000 – 80,000 were not registered before. The real problem lies with Hungary. If we were to follow the logic of the Minister of the Interior (regarding Romania’s refusal to accede), then Hungary should be kicked out of Schengen, because that is where the most many unregistered migrants in Austria,” said the vice-chancellor.
Asked if Romania and Bulgaria will enter Schengen in 2023, he replied: “That’s the goal.”
The conservatives in the ÖVP formed a coalition with the Green Party in 2020. The ÖVP has the better position in the coalition, with 10 ministers plus the chancellor, while the Greens have the vice chancellor and four ministers.
Romania’s accession to Schengen was a reason for discord in the Austrian governing coalition, the Greens being in favor of the accession while the ÖVP, which also has the Minister of the Interior, opposed it.