European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Czech Education Minister Vladimír Balaš and a large number of MEPs reiterated their anger on the evening of 13 December in Strasbourg at Austria and the Netherlands’ refusal on 8 December to approve the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area (see EUROPE 13080/1).
The Commissioner said she was “extremely disappointed” and promised both countries that they will have their place in Schengen in 2023. She was particularly concerned about the image that the Europeans had sent out, an image that was “fractured” and which played into the hands of “Vladimir Putin”, she said, supported by the Czech minister, who felt that the ministers should have sent a sign of “unity”.
The Austrian and Dutch vetoes (Austria voted against Romania and Bulgaria, the Netherlands against Bulgaria) are “a mistake”, commented the German leader of the EPP group, Manfred Weber. The enlargement of the free movement zone “would have shown that there is belief in the Schengen project”.
Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, German) said the ministers had made “a huge mistake”, with Europeans showing that they make “promises they don't keep”.
German Renew Europe MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen called the Austrian government’s position “an unjustifiable disgrace”, which “for purely domestic political reasons” has blocked the countries’ entry.
Bulgaria and Romania also apply “the Schengen acquis much better than countries that are already members” of the area. “The heads of State must urgently correct” this decision by ministers, he added.
Portuguese EPP member Paulo Rangel, the rapporteur on Croatia’s entry into Schengen, also expressed his anger at the Austrian government, which is part of the same movement as the EPP, and at Mark Rutte’s government. The decision of these two countries is “unfair” in his view.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will raise the issue on Thursday 15 December at the European Summit. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)