The Hungarian government wants Romania and Bulgaria to join Schengen. It was “disgraceful” that the border-free area had not long ago been expanded to include the two countries, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Sijjártó said on Friday. The “Austrian friends” were asked to waive their veto “this autumn”.
For Hungary it is “of strategic importance” to be able to cooperate as closely as possible with Romania. Sijjártó said this at a joint press conference with Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu (Post-Communists/PSD). Earlier, Grindeau and the Hungarian foreign minister signed an agreement on two new border crossing points between their two countries. This increases the number to 14.
As a reminder, in December 2022, the Austrian government vetoed the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. She justified this with the high number of asylum applications in this country. Most illegal border crossings went unrecorded, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) said at the time.
Romanian minister: ‘Migration figures have fallen’
In August he met his Romanian colleague Cătălin Predoiu in Vienna, who reported to him on “falling migration rates”. Romania is ready to solve the remaining problems. The government there had already applied for access to the Schengen area after joining the EU in 2007.
Actual accession requires the consent of all Member States. For example, the Austrian veto, welcomed by the FPÖ, caused a stir in the EU. However, Croatia’s accession was approved.
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.
