Schengen blockade

Romania’s prime minister “annoyed” about Nehammer

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu(Bild: APA/AFP/Angelos Tzortzinis)

Frustration in Romania over the Austrian government's ongoing Schengen blockade is growing and getting louder. In an interview with the private broadcaster Antena 3, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that he was "annoyed" by Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and his stance. 

"The whole region and the whole of Europe see Romania's fantastic potential," said Ciolacu. "Romania has created balance in Europe. (...) That's why I was annoyed with the Austrian government and Chancellor Nehammer. One cannot fail to understand the role that Romania has played and continues to play in the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine (...)", said the head of government.

Vienna is known to justify the red-white-red veto with the high number of irregular entries via the Balkan route. At a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Johannis in Bucharest at the beginning of March, Nehammer said that there was still "no concrete timetable" for full admission to the Schengen area.

Government in Bucharest wants happy ending by late fall elections
As the presidential election is due in Romania in late fall and the parliamentary election in December, the coalition government consisting of the PSD and its liberal junior partner (PNL) is trying to bring about a happy end to the tiresome Schengen saga as soon as possible, as both coalition parties hope this will lead to electoral gains. In July, the head of the government and PSD, Ciolacu, held out the prospect of the country joining Schengen by the end of the year, even with ground borders. Ciolacu did not give the reasons for this optimism at the time. 

NEOS EU mandatary shows understanding for anger
The NEOS delegation leader in the EU Parliament, Helmut Brandstätter, showed understanding for Ciolacu's criticism of the Schengen veto. "The ÖVP's Schengen blockade against Romania and Bulgaria harms the EU, but also the people in both countries. And it is fueling all those who want to weaken Europe from within and without - including the FPÖ with Herbert Kickl," said Brandstätter.