Austria will lift the Schengen veto after next year's elections

published on 9/23/23 11:39 AM

Photo: EPA/BGNES archive

Austria will give up the Schengen veto after next year's parliamentary elections, Austrian political scientist Prof. Reinhard Heinisch predicted in an interview for the BNR. Together with the Netherlands, Austria opposes the expansion of the Schengen area.

What could force the government to reconsider its position towards Bulgaria and Romania are the interests of Austrian businesses, the political scientist believes. "During the parliamentary discussion, it became clear that Austrian companies suffer losses from the fact that both countries are outside Schengen," he said.

According to Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, it is "absolutely imperative" to become part of Schengen by the end of the year, since 2024 is an election year for the EU, and important decisions are difficult to make in such a period.

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Radio Bulgaria News Austria Schengen Schengen area The Netherlands veto

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