Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolaj Denkow hopes Austria’s block on his country’s Schengen membership will soon end. There is no argument why his country should not join, Denkow said on ZIB2 tonight. He said border controls had been strengthened. In December he expects a decision from the EU, said Denkow, who emphasized that “we deserve this decision”.
Furthermore, Bulgaria’s membership of Schengen would also be beneficial for Austria and the rest of Europe, as there would be shorter waiting times at borders and this would make transporting food cheaper. But if Vienna maintained its veto, it would become increasingly difficult for the pro-European government in Sofia to explain to citizens why this is happening. This could also cause pro-European sentiment to shift towards Russia.
During his visit to Vienna a month ago, Denkow was rebuffed by Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) in his campaign for his country to join Schengen. “Austria has a clear position that Schengen expansion cannot take place at this time,” Nehammer told journalists at the time. The Chancellor made it clear that bilateral border controls within the Schengen area would first have to be lifted before Austria gave the green light to Bulgaria and Romania.
Yesterday, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) once again made clear his rejection of accepting new Schengen members. When asked if a decision would be ready in December, Karner said, “I don’t think it makes sense to expand something that doesn’t work.”