Romania blasts Austria for ‘inexplicable, unjustified’ Schengen veto

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has blasted Austria for single-handedly blocking his nation’s accession into the EU’s passport-free Schengen Space, calling the transfer “inexplicable,” “regrettable” and “unjustified”.

“A single member state selected to disregard these realities and block European unanimity, in an inexplicable method that’s obscure for the whole European Union,” Iohannis mentioned in a response assertion, a translated copy of which was shared with Euronews.

“The regrettable and unjustified perspective of Austria in (Thursday’s) assembly dangers affecting European unity and cohesion, which we want a lot, particularly within the present geopolitical context,” he added, referring to Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.

In a high-stakes assembly of inside ministers in Brussels, Austria was the one nation that opposed Romania’s — and Bulgaria’s — admission into Schengen, the passport-free space that has abolished border checks between the overwhelming majority of EU member states.

The Netherlands endorsed Romania’s bid however was towards Bulgaria’s over rule-of-law issues.

Admitting new Schengen members requires a unanimous vote.

Alternatively, each Austria and the Netherlands accredited Croatia’s candidacy, a rustic that entered the European Union six years after Romania. Croatia will be part of Schengen as of January 2023.

Thursday’s unfavourable consequence was a heavy political blow for Bucharest, which had gathered sturdy assist from the European Fee, the European Parliament and most EU international locations, together with the bloc’s two heavyweights, France and Germany.

The Fee has repeatedly insisted Romania is able to be a part of Schengen after having fulfilled all technical and authorized circumstances, together with border administration and police cooperation.

“The residents of Bulgaria and Romania should be totally a part of the Schengen space,” Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for dwelling affairs, said on Thursday.

However none of this was sufficient to beat Austria’s veto.

Why did Austria block Schengen memebership?

Vienna argues {that a} new inflow of asylum-seekers by way of the Western Balkans route is a cause sturdy sufficient to postpone Schengen enlargement.

The nation says it has acquired 75,000 unregistered migrants this yr, a quantity that poses a “safety situation that we can’t wipe away”, in response to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

Within the days previous to the vote in Brussels, President Iohannis and different Romanian officers tried to counter Austria’s arguments, saying there was no “uncontrolled” stream of migrants passing by way of the nation and that Romania was nicely ready to defend Schengen’s exterior borders.

Iohannis and Nehammer, who belonged to the identical political household, the centre-right European Individuals’s Social gathering (EPP), met as lately as Tuesday, throughout an EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, Albania.

“(The) lack of consensus concerning Romania’s accession to Schengen, because of Austria’s opposition, is profoundly unfair for our nation and for Romanian residents,” Iohannis mentioned on Thursday, after the unfavourable consequence.

“Romania deserved to obtain a beneficial vote.”

‘We is not going to cease till we obtain it’

In his response assertion, Iohannis thanked all of the member states who backed his nation’s long-stalled Schengen bid and vowed to behave “responsibly” to strengthen the EU’s inside safety.

“Pricey Romanians, Romania doesn’t cease right here!” the president wrote. “Schengen accession is our strategic goal and we is not going to cease till we obtain it.”

Schengen permits cross-border journey with out the necessity to carry a passport or go by way of border controls. It presently encompasses 26 international locations, together with 22 EU member states, and virtually 420 million residents.

Becoming a member of Schengen is a authorized obligation for each EU nation.

Solely Eire, which negotiated an opt-out clause many years in the past, and Cyprus, which stays break up between north and south, haven’t utilized to enter the passport-free space.