Passport checks for people flying to and from Bulgaria and Romania will be abolished at Swiss airports, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics reads. The Swiss government on Wednesday agreed to follow a recent European Union decision to lift internal border controls at air and maritime borders with Bulgaria and Romania. On December 30, the Council of the EU unanimously decided to lift checks on people at the internal air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania, as from March 31, 2024. Controls will remain in place at land borders but the council has hinted that a future decision will be taken on the matter. Switzerland, a member of Europe’s passport-free Schengen Zone, is following this decision. Romania and Bulgaria will also be able to issue their own Schengen visas themselves, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. The experience of Croatia's accession to the Schengen area on January 1, 2023 has shown that a decision of this kind does not lead to a marked increase in immigration, non-EU member Switzerland said. Existing instruments, including preventive measures, are used to combat illegal migratory flows and crime. The EU's decision follows 12 years of negotiations. Austria imposed its veto last year to protest against too many irregular migrants arriving on its territory, before agreeing to lift it in exchange for guarantees. Sofia and Bucharest have agreed to step up their fight against irregular migration. Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, have also undertaken to fully apply European law, which stipulates that asylum applications must be processed in the migrants' country of arrival. The Schengen area, created in 1985, allows over 400 million people to travel freely in Europe without internal border controls. It includes 23 of the 27 EU member states as well as their associated neighbours Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Marcel Ciolacu, former prime minister and president of the Social Democrats (PSD) in Romania, has been officially nominated as the party's candidate for the presidency of the Buzău County Council in the upcoming local elections scheduled for December 7. Speaking at the announcement event organized by PSD's Buzău branch, Ciolacu said his decision to run […]
Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulated the newly elected president of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, in a message posted on social media on Sunday, October 26. “Congratulations to Catherine Connolly on her election as President of Ireland. I am looking forward to working together to develop our bilateral and European cooperation, building upon our countries' excellent relations […]
Romania has activated a new F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron to carry out NATO air policing missions, the Ministry of Defense announced. The 48th Fighter Squadron of the 71st Air Base “General Emanoil Ionescu” in Câmpia Turzii began operations last week, on October 20, under NATO command. The missions aim to safeguard Romania’s airspace and strengthen […]
Bucharest’s District 6 mayor, Ciprian Ciucu, confirmed on Monday, October 27, that he will run for the position of general mayor of the capital city, saying the decision followed “long and careful reflection” on where he could make the greatest impact. His announcement came as a new Avangarde poll showed a close race for Bucharest’s […]
The city of Oradea, in western Romania, has been designated Romania’s Youth Capital 2027 following a national competition, according to the City Hall. The designation took place during a special event organized in Vaslui, the current holder of the title, where the Oradea City Hall was represented by deputy mayor Teofil Filimon. “Today, in Oradea, […]
The minimum wage threatens to develop into a new subject of disagreement among the ruling coalition's members in Romania, as prime minister Ilie Bolojan and, more recently, president Nicusor Dan argue for no revision as of January, while the Social Democrats (PSD) advocate for the enforcement of the EU Directive on the issue already legislated […]
