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Austria’s Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, insists on Vienna’s right to veto the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, the Austrian publication Krone reported.
In a press conference in Innsbruck, Karner referred to the agreement regarding the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen, starting from March 31, with airports and seaports.
“I think very much that we should take this step now (integration with air and sea borders – n.d.) and not philosophize about the next steps,” the Austrian interior minister said, according to Austrian publication Krone, which notes that Gerhard Karner has further reduced the expectations regarding the full accession to Schengen of Romania and Bulgaria.
The Austrian official spoke of the “compromise” reached by concluding the air and sea accession agreement, saying there had been “tough negotiations” and that “clear conditions” were set out. These include that the land border must be secured, and police officers and additional Frontex resources will be mobilized at the external border.
Furthermore, asylum seekers previously registered in Romania and Bulgaria must be returned from Austria to the respective countries, the Austrian Interior Minister also said.
The Austrian newspaper “Kurier” wrote on Sunday about the growing pressure on Austria to accept the full Schengen reception of Romania and Bulgaria. The Austrian publication notes that Austria is the only country in the European Union that still consistently stands in the way of this step.
The Austrian press reminds that, in addition to the European Parliament elections, this year (in the autumn) there are also parliamentary elections in Austria, and the ruling party, which includes the Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner, has adopted a tough public position towards migration illegal.
The EU Council announced at the end of December that Romania and Bulgaria will enter Schengen with air and sea borders on March 31, 2024.
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Western europe’s politics of migration destabilized everything. And now others are asked to pay for it too
Romania Bulgaria and Greece will do a land sub Schengen. ?We don’t need there pitiful gifts.