Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Austria and the Netherlands are saying “no” to Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, for now

| updated on 12/6/22 2:53 PM
Photo: archive

In a comment on Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, made at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte stated that next year Bulgaria could take steps forward. 

“At this stage, it's not “no” for Bulgaria, it's “not yet”. More time will be needed for two reasons: a new assessment of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and the Schengen Verification Mechanism. I spoke with President Rumen Radev and I'm optimistic that next year we can take steps forward,” Mark Rutte said.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also stated that Austria is against the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. “More time is needed. We have 75,000 unregistered illegal immigrants in Austria. This means that they have crossed the external border of the EU and have ended up in a landlocked country like Austria. We have to answer these security questions first," Karl Nehammer said.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

19 people detained in Sofia for drug possession

Nineteen people have been detained last night for drug possession during a special police operation on the territory of Sofia, the Interior Ministry has announced. Cannabis, ecstasy and more than 400 canisters of laughing gas, as well as..

published on 11/2/24 2:46 PM

Patriarch Daniil conducts Archangel All Souls' Day memorial service

An Archangel All Souls' Day memorial service was conducted by Patriarch Daniil at the military ossuary museum at the central Sofia cemetery. In his message he stated that today we honour the memory of all of our soldiers: “They are an example..

published on 11/2/24 1:31 PM

Young people out of a job are mostly with a secondary school education

Almost half of the unemployed under the age of 29 in this country have secondary school education, indicate the latest data of the National Employment Agency. There are 17.350 people from this age bracket registered at the job centres –7,570 of..

published on 11/2/24 11:51 AM