Even though other EU countries are increasingly pushing for this, Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner and his Dutch counterpart maintain their position: there is currently no question of Schengen expansion. “Schengen must get better and not bigger,” Karner made clear on Tuesday on the sidelines of a meeting of EU interior ministers, at which no votes were planned.
He called on the European Commission to invest more in the protection of the external borders, as announced. “I don’t see any progress here,” so he could not imagine a change in Austrian opinion on the Schengen veto, the red-white-red minister emphasized.
Spanish Minister of the Interior and current representative of the Council Presidency, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, stressed that “a strong Europe is a Europe with Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen”. The Spanish presidency is working “very hard on this” and he hopes that “the full inclusion can take place as soon as possible”.
German minister does not know what Vienna ‘demands’
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she did not know what Austria and the Netherlands were demanding. ‘We’ll have to get to each other.’ There is a lot at stake, ‘only together can we reduce irregular migration.’ She assumes that the file will be “completed successfully”. Her Belgian colleague Annelies Verlinden agreed with Faeser: “I hope there will be a solution soon.”
Of course, Romania is also pushing for this. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had previously stated that an “extraordinary council meeting” would take place specifically on this subject in December. In addition to Romania, Bulgaria is also fighting against the Austrian-Dutch veto.
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.
