The youngest EU country, Croatia, wants to join the Schengen Agreement. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) is expected to hold talks in Zagreb on Wednesday. Before that, he made people sit up and take notice with praise for Croatia. So he may represent a different position than Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).
He had previously rejected the expansion of the Schengen area to include Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. This is a proposal from the European Commission. Karner countered that the existing system was not working and referred to the many asylum seekers. In the Schengen area there are no regular controls at the internal borders, but stricter controls at the external borders.
“Hardly any migration pressure from Croatia”
According to a media report, Chancellor Nehammer has a different position. “We hardly feel any migration pressure from Croatia to the north. Since Croatia fulfills border control in an exemplary manner, I see no problem there. The countries are voted on individually,” he said during a media interview in Klagenfurt. So it seems that Nehammer would at least support Croatia’s accession to Schengen.
In any case, the Chancellor’s expectations are high. “Certain debates are still ongoing. On Wednesday there will be a very important visit by the Austrian Chancellor to Zagreb, and I hope the situation will be clearer after that,” said Gordan Jandroković, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament. Croatia has gone through a very demanding procedure and is preparing to join the Schengen The Croatian government wants to convince the Austrian government that Schengen can become stronger with enlargement.
Permission from all members required
The government has been waiting for this since joining the EU in 2013. In order for the country to actually become part of the Schengen area, the consent of all current members is required. During Nehammer’s visit to Croatia, energy and the associated infrastructure will also be discussed. According to a media report, the Chancellor will travel to a liquefied gas terminal on the island of Krk where he will meet Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. In the medium term, the capacity of the LNG terminal should be doubled.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
