Austria has rejected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s call to lift its veto against Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen area, arguing that extending the visa-free zone currently makes no sense, www. Euractiv.com reports. In her State of the Union address on Wednesday, von der Leyen called out Austria for blocking the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania, urging the country to “finally let them in – without further delay”. Austria, however, was quick to dismiss the request. “Currently, the migration figures are rising across Europe, and in many countries, additional border controls are being discussed, for example, in Germany with Poland,” Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, said in a statement. “At this point in time, it makes no sense for me to talk about an extension of the Schengen area. We need more controls, not less,” he added. Austria has been blocking accession for both countries, fearing an influx of irregular migrants. According to the Austrian government, the two countries could not effectively control their borders, which would become the EU’s external borders after their Schengen accession. Von der Leyen, on the other hand, stressed that the two eastern European states have already become a model “showcasing best practices on both asylum and returns.” “They have proved it: Bulgaria and Romania are part of our Schengen area,” von der Leyen added during her State of the Union speech. Back home, the government’s continued insistence on the blockade has also been criticised by the liberal NEOS party, now in opposition. “This is a direct call to the Austrian federal government to finally lift its unspeakable and anti-European veto,” NEOS MEP Claudia Gamon told APA after von der Leyen’s speech.
Former US first lady Michelle Obama, the wife of Barack Obama, was in Bucharest on Thursday, September 18, to serve as the main guest at the second edition of the Impact Bucharest series of conferences. The former first lady spent about an hour in front of a large audience, speaking about her childhood in a […]
Czech president Petr Pavel spent a few days in Romania at the beginning of September while on holiday. According to statement by the Romanian Embassy in Prague, the Czech leader traveled mountain routes by motorcycle and chose modest accommodations. Pavel tried to see as much of what Romania had to offer. He planned his routes, […]
Romania is taking tangible action toward its green transition through sustainable infrastructure projects, public‑private partnerships and green bonds. Experts, government officials and business leaders have gathered today at the CES Bucharest ESG Conference, to present progress and identify solutions through which the public and private sectors can collaborate to build a sustainable and competitive economy. […]
Prime minister Ilie Bolojan announced that he will visit Brussels next week to talk to three European commissioners about deficits, defense, and EU financing. The first meeting will be with the commissioner for economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, as Romania “must adjust the issues related to deficits to be a trustworthy country, so as not to continue […]
A large majority of Romanians, namely 85%, have heard of celebrated composer George Enescu, according to the third edition of the Informat.ro – INSCOP Research Barometer conducted earlier this month. However, the survey shows a slight decline in cultural awareness compared to 2013, particularly among younger generations. The
The volume of trade between Romania and China was almost USD 9.3 billion in 2024, according to official statistics. Trade between the two, however, is not balanced. Romania registered a USD 7.7 billion deficit with China, and a USD 2.1 billion deficit in the first quarter of 2025 as well. The People’s Republic of China […]
