Former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, now a member of the European Parliament, said on Wednesday night that Prime Minister Marcel Čolak’s “triumphal posts” on joining the Schengen area would be really important if there was an agreement with Austria and on land entry border.

“Yes, it would be good if there really was an agreement with Austria about the land borders. But do they exist, or are they just the “hopes” of Mr. Cholak?

I hope that the people in charge in Bucharest got a concrete date in the negotiations with Austria for the entry with land borders, which is really important and is the essence of the Schengen area. I would like to believe that Marcel Čolaku and the rest of the Coalition did not sell the most important part of what Schengen means to their short-term interests, a half-empty announcement to help them in the 2024 elections. And for this reason, let’s stay with the Schengen problem unresolved for many years, how we stayed with MCV around our necks,” wrote Dacian Cholos on Facebook, News.ro reports.

He claims that Romanian carriers are losing billions of euros and days at customs, while farmers, entrepreneurs and Romanians in general are considered second-class citizens.

“The right to move freely without stops is ours as European citizens, and neither Cholak nor anyone else should convince us to settle for leftovers.

If this is all we have, air and sea Schengen, without a timetable for full accession, we will be left with customs control at the border until 2025, maybe even longer: the topic will be effectively removed from the European agenda, warns the EUROPEAN RAPPER .

He tells Prime Minister Cholak that he is obliged to “explain and present a calendar for the abolition of ground customs control, not triumphant posts.”

“Romania should not give in so easily on this matter. We deserve equal rights with all European citizens,” Cholos said.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Wednesday evening that from March next year, Romanians will be able to take advantage of the Schengen area by air and sea transport. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that a political agreement on this was reached on December 23, but discussions will continue until a decision is made.