The Greens do not support Austria’s veto against Romania and Bulgaria joining Schengen. Deputy Chancellor and Greens leader Werner Kogler emphasized this in view of veto threats from Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Chancellor Karl Nehammer (both ÖVP). “Austria still officially supports Croatia, as well as Romania and Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen area,” Kogler told “Tiroler Tageszeitung” (Friday).
He also told the Minister of the Interior that the minor coalition partner does not support his line, the Deputy Chancellor continued. “On the other hand, it also has to be said that if there is a Schengen border, there must also be controls there,” he admitted.
Karner’s open criticism of the Schengen area, which in principle is free of border controls, in view of the high migratory pressure on Austria and his veto threat against Schengen membership by Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia caused a stir. The threat against Croatia was later put into perspective by Chancellor Nehammer: “We will support Croatia’s path to the Schengen area and at the same time we will be very critical of the efforts of Bulgaria and Romania,” Nehammer said on Wednesday in Zagreb.
Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode recently traveled to Vienna to speak personally with Karner about this, and his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Demerdschiev called the ÖVP Minister. Romania argues that only a few migrants make their way to Austria via the country.
The Czech Presidency of the EU Council has made Schengen extension one of its top priorities and wants it to be voted on at the meeting of EU interior ministers on 8 December. The extension requires unanimity among Schengen member states. The Schengen area includes all EU countries except Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Romania and Cyprus, as well as four non-EU countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.