Romanian Parliament Speaker Marcel Ciolacu has again urged Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to say yes to his country’s accession to Schengen. In an open letter in English published today in Politico (online edition), he highlighted Romania’s efforts alongside the Russia-invaded Ukraine.
The Austrian veto against Romania’s accession to the border-free Schengen area “not only weakens our country, but also Europe as a whole, while also strengthening the allied forces against us”, said the speaker of the House of Deputies and leader of the co-governing Social Democrats (PSD) accused the chancellor.
“Democracies must stand together”
“A growing Schengen (area) can further unite Europe, both practically and symbolically, promote democracy, promote economic reconstruction and strengthen our collective security against growing foreign threats,” Ciolacu argued.
The Romanian politician highlighted the sacrifices his country has made to help the neighboring country attacked since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “To combat the rising tide of authoritarianism, democracies must stand together and strengthen the bonds that unite them. I therefore urge Chancellor Nehammer to do the right thing and reverse his government’s decision.”
NEOS chief criticizes government
Meanwhile, ÖVP-EU MP Lukas Mandl published an article in which he stressed that the Schengen area should not be expanded until the asylum system in the EU is reformed. He called on his fellow delegates in the EU Parliament and also in the Council to implement the proposals published by the EU Commission in 2020.
NEOS chief Beate Meinl-Reisinger criticized the Schengen veto as a “shot in the knee”. “Instead of us looking for cooperation in Europe and looking for common ground, by the way, especially on the issue of migration, Austria has isolated itself quite a bit and is also excluded from economic policy because we are one of the biggest investors in Romania,” she said in ORF. .