Schengen debate

Brunner: “No contradiction to Austria’s line”

Magnus Brunner, Minister of Finance (ÖVP)

(Bild: REUTERS)

A questionnaire filled out by the designated EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) caused a stir. In it, the Finance Minister spoke out in favor of Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area. However, Austria had vetoed the accession. Brunner has now defended himself to the "Krone" newspaper.  

Magnus Brunner is puzzled by the uproar. What has happened? No, it's not about the higher budget deficit, but about his stance on the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania. The previous week, the designated EU Commissioner for Migration had to answer a list of questions from Members of the EU Parliament in advance of the public hearing on November 5. And it contained an interesting passage from Brunner. On the subject of the Schengen area, the future Commissioner for Migration provided a clear objective: "If Bulgaria and Romania continue to meet all the conditions to become full members of the Schengen area, it is the responsibility of the Council to decide on the abolition of the remaining internal land border controls". If this does not happen before the new Commission takes office, "I will continue to support this process with the same intensity as my predecessors. Bulgaria and Romania have a right to take full advantage of the Schengen area".

(Bild: AP)

"Can't surprise anyone that I represent the EU position"
 With this statement, is Brunner now bucking Austria's line, which is against the admission of Bulgaria and Romania and has even vetoed it? This question has been widely discussed in the media. Brunner has so far remained silent. He is now taking a stand for the first time in the Krone newspaper. He says that "no one would be surprised" if he "as Commissioner-designate were to adopt the position that the EU Commission has consistently defended for years".

Brunner feels misinterpreted, as he had also "explained" in his reply that he "sees no fundamental contradiction to the Austrian position", Brunner argued to the "Krone". 

For Brunner, the goal is obvious: "Both the Commission and Austria want Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of Schengen. Austria has vetoed this, which is the right of the member states, as they decide whether the Schengen area will be expanded or not." The EU Commissioner-designate also sees progress on the issue of accession, saying that "things are moving in the right direction".

The optimistic view of the future Commissioner 
A clear sign of this development is the fact that Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) gave the green light for "Air Schengen" before the summer. "Austria has always said that both states need to make progress in order to guarantee the security of the other member states. That is why Schengen is already being applied to air traffic - and with Austria's approval. There is no contradiction with the Austrian line, perhaps the future Commissioner's view here is simply an optimistic one," Brunner states correctly. He hopes that this will put an end to the discussion a few days before his hearing before the EU Parliament.