European Liberals Firmly Support: Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia Together in Schengen!

The European liberals voted decisively in favor of the simultaneous accession of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia to the Schengen Area. This took place during the ALDE Party Council’s second meeting of the year in Bratislava, Slovakia. A delegation from the DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) also participated in the council.

After the announcement of the Netherlands’ decision to agree to Romania and Croatia joining the Schengen Area, but block Bulgaria’s accession, the Council urgently voted on a resolution calling for the simultaneous admission of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia to Schengen.

The text clearly reflects the European Commission’s position, which acknowledges that the countries meet the necessary criteria for joining the Schengen Area and urges the Council to take the necessary steps for their accession.

The resolution emphasized the firm stance of the “Renew Europe” group in the European Parliament, which calls for an end to the discriminatory exclusion, as it negatively impacts the free movement of citizens and harms the single market. The conclusion of the resolution states: “ALDE member parties should publicly express their support for the accession of Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania to Schengen.”

As the leader of the European liberals, Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk firmly stated:

“Bulgaria has the right to be part of Schengen because it meets all the criteria that govern this membership. For eleven years, the Commission and the Parliament have consistently called for a decision from the Council and have acknowledged Bulgaria and Romania’s readiness, but without results. The double standard creates a sense of injustice among citizens. It is a matter of strong political will and responsibility for Bulgaria to become a full member of Schengen. Bulgarian citizens are no less European than others. The decision of the Dutch government is unjust!”

According to Kyuchyuk, the EU cannot be a geopolitical actor if there is a double standard applied to its member states.

During the Council, which also saw the participation of MEPs Iskra Mihaylova, Atidje Aliyeva-Veli, and Valentin Tonchev, advisor to the DPS delegation in the European Parliament, the liberals debated and adopted additional resolutions on the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, high inflation, as well as the escalation in Iran and the protests in China.

Тази публикация е достъпна и на следните езици: Bulgarian