Mixed feelings in Sofia, Bucharest over Austria’s ‘partial’ Schengen idea

9 months ago 27

News from Austria suggesting that Vienna is considering easing Romania and Bulgaria into the EU’s Schengen free-travel zone by giving the go-ahead to abolish airport passport checks was welcomed in Bucharest but firmly criticised in Sofia.

In late 2022, Austria vetoed the two countries hopes of joining the flagship initiative founded in the 1990s.

Austria’s Gerhard Karner told Kurier that a partial unblock is expected to be unveiled at an interior minister meeting in Bro on Monday and Tuesday. In exchange for greenlighting Schengen-like experience – no passport checks – for travellers from Romania and Bulgaria at European airports, he is insisting that the two countries boost their border security.

Kurier reports that Austria is making three demands: tripling the presence of the EU’s border protection agency Frontex in Bulgaria, extra money from Brussels for border protection infrastructure, additional border checks between Bulgaria and Romania, and Hungary and Romania.

The two countries must also be willing to house refugees, especially Afghans and Syrians, who made it to Austria through either country.

When Austria made its stand last year, its concerns were echoed by the Netherlands, with the two countries joining.

A new government has yet to form following the Dutch elections in November, but a more right-wing government with similar priorities on migration is deemed likely following the victory of the far-right firebrand Geert Wilders.

Romania: ‘We have broken the ice’

The news was greeted with enthusiasm by Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

“We’ve broken the ice. Austria has demonstrated increased flexibility regarding the Schengen area and favours lifting air borders for Romania,” Ciolacu wrote on social media.

“After years of anticipation, we are on the verge of achieving this dream together! Romania rightfully deserves a place in Schengen,” added Ciolacu, acknowledging the substantial efforts made by Romanian authorities in recent months to reach this point.

For his part, PNL leader Nicolae Ciucă noted, “Minister Karner’s remarks were an encouraging public statement, outlining conditions that will be subject to discussion and analysis in the coming period”.

Meanwhile, while President Klaus Iohannis did not react, the opposition had several reservations.

REPER MEP Dacian Cioloș expressed satisfaction with the “good start” but cautioned against undue celebration, emphasising the need for a land border inclusion in Schengen. Cioloș highlighted the significant time, money, and inconvenience associated with land borders compared to air borders.

Social-democratic MEP Victor Negrescu noted that while Austria’s requirements are not problematic, they were deemed unnecessary in Romania’s case.

“We aim to demonstrate shortly that our Bulgarian counterparts, with whom we continue this endeavour, are also prepared for land entry,” he stated.

Dissatisfaction in Bulgaria

In Sofia, the news was not particularly welcomed, with President Rumen Radev commenting that it is critically important for the country to fully enter the Schengen area, not just with the air traffic.

He called Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen a step forward but warned that Bulgarian authorities should strive for full membership.

Radev also commented on Austria’s conditions as difficult to accept for Bulgaria.

Bulgarian political scientists also explained that entering Schengen only by air does not benefit the country’s economy but only tourists.

“This decision would ease the air travel of each of us, but not the queues at the borders for business transport. But it is still good news. In Bulgaria, it will be difficult to approve a political decision to accept some contingent of refugees, such as Austria sets a condition for Sofia and Bucharest. This is not possible; they do not want to stay in Bulgaria, and no one can stop them,” said political scientist Ognyan Minchev, who is the head of the Bulgarian Center for Regional and International Studies.

According to political scientist Lyubomir Stefanov, Bulgaria entering Schengen for air travel is a good step, but it only represents a tenth of the entire process for Schengen integration, noting that the Bulgarian economy will not gain much from it.

(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro, Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg, Nikolaus J. Kurmayer | Euractiv.de)