Only Croatia can count on a positive decision on Schengen accession at the Justice and Home Affairs Council starting Thursday, while Romania and Bulgaria will be disappointed, Reuters reported, citing a European diplomatic source.

“Croatia can count on a positive decision, but Romania and especially Bulgaria will not be able to join Schengen just yet,” a source told Reuters, given that our neighbors south of the Danube are in an even more difficult situation than Romania because not only Austria is against them, but also the Netherlands.

“They will stay away for at least another six months or a year before they can return to this issue,” the diplomat added.

Croatia (3.9 million inhabitants), which has been a member of the EU since 2013 and will join the euro zone in January next year, expects a positive response if there are no surprises, AFP notes.

But Romania (19 million inhabitants) and Bulgaria (6.5 million), which joined the EU in 2007 and have been knocking on Schengen’s door for more than ten years, face the reluctance of some states, the press agency writes, emphasizing that the unanimity of the 26 members of this space (22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) is necessary.

Romania’s accession to the Schengen zone is currently on the agenda of the JAI Council, to which our country is a member with the support of 26 EU countries, but with Austria’s right of veto.

There is virtually no chance of a turnaround, given that the night before the meeting, both the Austrian interior minister and the chancellor said they had no reason to change their minds, citing 75,000 illegal migrants. in Austria, which were not previously registered in any other EU country.

(article photo: © Tanaonte | Dreamstime.com)