Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday evening that tougher measures must be taken against Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehhammer, who opposes Romania joining the Schengen zone and told him to “go home”. “Get out of Schengen if you think it’s migration,” Cholaku said.

Schengen areaPhoto: Mykola Sorokin / Dreamstime.com

“As far as Schengen is concerned, I will fight until the last moment, and I think it’s right,” Prime Minister Marcel Čolaku said Wednesday night on Antena 3, according to News.ro.

He declares that the stupidest Romanian proverb is: “The head is bowed, the saber does not cut.”

“You need to use your chances to the end,” the prime minister also said, adding that the only one against it is Chancellor Nehammer, not Austria, not the Austrian people.

Čolaku spoke about the resolutions adopted by all social democratic leaders supporting the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen “immediately”.

  • “If the majority of your family chooses to support Romania and Bulgaria, if you do not agree, I think that the European people’s family should take steps to exclude Nehammer from their family. We have crossed the red line (…) If you are stupid and we decided otherwise, go home sir, leave Schengen if you think this is migration,” Çolaku said.

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen was blocked by Austria and the Netherlands at the JCC Council in December 2022. Bucharest had the support of 26 EU member states, but was blocked by Austria, which continues to oppose it.

It will be recalled that the Chancellor of Austria and the leader of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Karl Nehammer has repeatedly justified the blocking of the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen zone by the fact that they will not prevent the flow of illegal migrants who reach the borders of the European Union to enter the community space.

Most recently, Nehhammer said in late October that the extension of Schengen under the current conditions was “inconceivable” and that the free movement area should be “fixed”.

  • How long is Romania’s accession to Schengen delayed? Romanian officials say when they will demand a new vote in the Council

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), a far-right party that takes an even tougher stance on migration than the current government led by Karl Nehhammer, is leading Austrian polls ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.

The latest opinion polls show that if federal parliamentary elections were held now, the FPÖ would win 29% of the vote, 13% more than it won in regional elections two years ago.

Separation from Bulgaria to join the Schengen area

Earlier, Prime Minister Marcel Çolaku even stated in an interview with Bloomberg that Bucharest could consider separating from Sofia to join the Schengen zone, if the negotiations show a favorable result.

The Prime Minister said that he will ask Spain – the country that will preside over the EU Council until the end of the year – to organize an extraordinary meeting of the JAI Council in December to re-examine Romania’s Schengen candidacy.

Marcel Ciolacu also said that Bucharest could also consider secession from Bulgaria if the talks show a better outcome.

Read also:

VIDEO Will Romania demand separation from Bulgaria to join Schengen? Johannis: There are several options

Austrian political scientist: after the parliamentary elections, Vienna will give up its veto on Schengen / Austrian companies suffer losses