Austria Stands Firm on Veto Against Romania’s Schengen Accession Amid German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Upcoming Visit: German Press Critiques Chancellor Nehammer’s Party for Isolationist Stance in Europe

The Austrian government, led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, has told TAZ newspaper that it maintains its veto on Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, despite a new resolution passed two weeks ago by the European Parliament. Vienna’s position comes shortly before a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will discuss Schengen with Nehammer. TAZ writes that the Chancellor’s right-wing party is „isolating itself in the EU”.

Calls to boycott domestic companies, Austria’s ambassador summoned to Bucharest, criticism from half of Europe: the Austrian government probably wasn’t expecting the headwind when it voted against admitting Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, writes Austrian newspaper TAZ, which notes that both countries have met all the conditions for years.

In a response to a TAZ question, the Federal Chancellery in Vienna announced that it is maintaining its negative vote and stresses that Schengen is not a matter of party politics but a matter of security policy. The government argues that external border protection does not work, otherwise it could not explain why 70% of migrants detained in Austria had not previously been registered in any EU country.

It is „the right and probably also the duty of each member state to represent its national interests,” the Austrian government’s response says. TAZ writes that the Austrian government has overlooked the fact that Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán, one of the most important allies of the ruling ÖVP party, has simply let the vast majority of illegal migrants cross into Austria.

The issue of „illegal” migration has already been the dominant theme of the People’s Party in four regional elections this year. But the strategy of winning votes from the far-right FPÖ did not work for the ruling ÖVP, which lost almost ten percent and an absolute majority in Lower Austria.

Austria is expected to elect a new parliament in autumn 2024. Current polls put the FPÖ in first place – and the ÖVP would at best be a junior partner. The government is therefore eager to continue until the end of the legislative period.

The government in Vienna has risked a lot of trust with this deadlock. Especially in the two countries that are suffering themselves. Before the vote, the European Commission had already come out in favour of Schengen membership.

Recently, a resolution in the European Parliament also showed how alone the federal government in Vienna is on this issue. 526 MEPs voted in favour, only 57 against admitting Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area as soon as possible. This was one of the „most tangible achievements of European integration”, according to the text of the vote. It is unacceptable that citizens should be discriminated against at the border with sometimes days-long waiting times, economic losses and unnecessary exhaust fumes, the resolution says.

Austria, unlike the Netherlands, is mentioned twice in the resolution. The argument used by Vienna – it’s about fighting illegal migration – is not part of the clearly defined criteria for Schengen membership. Even Austria’s federal president, Alexander Van der Bellen, regretted the independent government’s decision in December. Austria is in a „difficult situation” because of the large number of asylum seekers. But: „The connection of this problem with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen, I have to confess, unfortunately, I don’t see it.”

Romanian entrepreneur and former energy minister Răzvan Nicolescu is even demanding €200 million in compensation – per month. That’s how much damage has been done to the Romanian economy. But it is also a matter of respect for 30 million Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac, from the EPP, a party colleague of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), called the veto an „undeserved slap in the face”.