Romania’s Schengen accession will not be subject to a vote during the Justice and Home Affairs Council’s (JHA) meeting on 5 December, according to political sources cited by News.ro, Euractiv.com informs. During the upcoming JHA Council next week, the discussion on Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession is expected without a formal vote, given ongoing negotiations for a new government in the Netherlands. The provisional agenda of the JHA indicates that on 5 December, there will be discussions on the overall situation in the Schengen area, along with a potential debate on the Council Decision concerning the full application of Schengen provisions in Bulgaria and Romania. According to sources cited by News.ro, Romania is striving to convene an Extraordinary Council by the end of December to decide on Romania’s accession in two stages, commencing with air borders in March next year, followed by road and sea borders. The sources affirm that a separation from Bulgaria is not being considered. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has explored this scenario with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez. The Netherlands has opposed Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen, and Austria has opposed both Romania’s and Bulgaria’s inclusion in the free movement area. Despite Vienna’s consistent signalling of maintaining its position, on Tuesday, Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch expressed on the X platform that Romania’s Schengen accession would benefit Austria and Romania. “Both Austria and Romania would benefit greatly from Romania’s Schengen accession. It would have advantages for many companies and would also be a great relief for the 30,000 24-hour caregivers on whom thousands of families in Austria depend”, Rauch wrote in the context of a meeting in Brussels with Romanian Labour and Social Solidarity Minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu. Last week, Bulgarian EPP MEP Andrey Kovatchev told journalists in Strasbourg that Bulgaria will not be admitted to Schengen before Austria’s 2024 parliamentary elections.
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 […]
