Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated that Austria opposes the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. He made this statement during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, https://www.novinite.com/ reports. "The Minister of the Interior made it clear. There is no approval from Austria for the enlargement with Bulgaria and Romania. More time is needed. We have 75,000 unregistered illegal immigrants in Austria. This means that they have crossed the external border of the European Union and ended up in a landlocked country like Austria. We have to answer these security questions first," Nehammer said. The migration issues that Austria is facing are not imputable to Romania, Internal Affairs Minister Lucian Bode said in response to Austria saying it opposes Romania joining the passport-free Schengen area due to the many migrants that pass through the country, euractiv.com reads. “Categorically, Romania should not be undeservedly and unjustifiably punished,” Bode wrote in a Facebook post. Migration flows do not pass Romania and Romania is not the generator of this flow, the minister added, in reply to reports that Austria is the sole obstacle on Romania’s path to Schengen. “Without a doubt, Romania meets all the technical conditions for joining the Schengen area,” said Bode, adding that he discussed with his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, the matter of Schengen expansion and European migration data. Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer reiterated Vienna’s opposition to Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen Area. “More time is needed… there are still many requests from Austria’s part,” the chancellor said on Tuesday, just before the EU-Western Balkan summit in Tirana. According to Austria, more than 75,000 immigrants reach its territory, including through Romania and Bulgaria. Bucharest, however, denies that a large number of migrants have passed its borders. The decision on the extension of the Schengen area will be taken at the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the EU on Thursday and Friday.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, congratulated Pope Leo XIV for succeeding Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. He expressed confidence that the new pope will continue to promote "the spirit of dialogue, peace, and cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church." "In a world facing multiple spiritual, economic, and […]
The organizers of the Untold festival announced they will offer a RON 150 (EUR 30) voucher toward the purchase of a festival pass to anyone who votes on May 18, during the second round of the presidential elections. In an online message, Untold representatives emphasized the connection between civic participation and the future of every […]
The Open Streets program, which sees the city's major arteries close for car traffic and become pedestrian areas, returns this weekend with a program of exhibitions, concerts, and a Festival of Lights. On Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m., the public is invited to the Made in Romania exhibition, which presents a selection of civilian […]
Joseph Stiglitz, the famous economist and professor at Columbia University in New York, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economy in 2001, told an audience in Cluj, Romania, that governments must stimulate exports and key sectors when facing deficits. Stiglitz was in Romania on Thursday, May 8, to receive the title of Doctor Honoris […]
The Constitutional Court unanimously validated on Friday, May 9, the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It also rejected as unfounded a request to annul the elections filed by Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, the presidential candidate of the New Romania Party, it announced. The runoff, set for May 18, will see ultranationalist leader George […]
Bucharest's culinary scene welcomes back OLEA, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel's celebrated Mediterranean destination, now reimagined with a fresh concept that blends authentic coastal flavours with contemporary sophistication. Following an extensive transformation, OLEA reopens its doors to offer guests a refined journey through the Mediterranean's sun-drenched culinary traditions, right in the heart of Romania's […]
