After the Austrian veto on the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania, the waves are going wild at European and also at national level. Given the current high migration figures, was that a necessary cry for help or just undiplomatic populism? Katia Wagner talks about this with her guests on Wednesday 8:15 PM on krone.tv!
Austria got into a lot of trouble last week by rejecting the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area and also caused irritation in other parts of the EU. After all, there is a lot at stake for the two Eastern European countries: there are no stationary border controls in the Schengen area, which makes a common internal market possible in the EU.
Austria blocks last step
According to the EU Commission, as well as experts, both countries have now issued a positive certificate of Schengen maturity after many years of waiting. Both countries joined the European Union in 2007 and have since been subject to a monitoring mechanism that evaluates judicial reform and the fight against corruption. The final step should have been completed last week and border controls could have been lifted from early 2023.
Chancellor: “We must act decisively and nationally”
But that does not seem to be enough for Austria: because, according to the Chancellor, many unregistered migrants and asylum seekers would come to us via Romania and Bulgaria, the pressure for more checks must now be increased. Although efforts were made to find allies within the Union, the Commission did not listen enough. That is why you have to act ‘strongly’ and nationally, says Chancellor Nehammer.
Another whirlwind in the EU: vice president with money in his pockets
Diplomatic relations now seem hardened. The Romanian Minister of the Interior recently expressed the existing misunderstanding in an open letter and is increasingly calling for a boycott by local companies in Romania. But the Union is not only concerned about the Schengen dispute: the detention of one of Parliament’s Vice-Presidents, Eva Kaili, for alleged corruption is also a cause for concern. About 600,000 euros in cash was found in her apartment…
How can peace be restored? Wednesday 8.15 pm on krone.tv!
How can the Union recover? How can the collaboration continue to work? And was the Schengen not justified or populist? Tomorrow, Wednesday, at 8.15 p.m., Katia Wagner will talk about this with, among others, European Minister Karoline Edtstadler on krone.tv. Join the conversation and tune in!
Katia Wagner – the talk, every Wednesday at 8:15 pm on krone.tv and at 11:00 pm on ntv Austria!
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.
