Bulgarian EPP MP Andrei Kovatchev said on Tuesday that Bulgaria would not be admitted to Schengen until the parliamentary elections in Austria in 2024.
Andrei Kovatchev added that Austria had no problem with Bulgaria’s accession until a speech by that country’s interior minister last November changed the situation. According to Kovatchev, “their interior minister decided that this topic could give them a few more per cent, which would boost their results in local elections.”
As for the Netherlands, which also vetoed Bulgaria’s admission, Kovatchev said it had nothing to do with the Schengen issue, as the main reason was that the Netherlands has many Bulgarian citizens living in the country who abuse the country’s social system.
However, the well-known argument of the Netherlands is that Bulgaria has problems with the rule of law. The Bulgarian authorities hope to address these concerns with the sacking of chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev, which took place in June, as well as with the constitutional reform currently underway.
Kovatchev said the likelihood of Romania separating from Bulgaria to obtain Schengen is ruled out because it would require the creation of an external EU border along the Danube River.
On Monday, the European Commission expressed readiness to organise a new Schengen fact-checking mission to Bulgaria at the request of the Netherlands. The Commission has previously repeatedly stated that Bulgaria and Romania fulfil the requirements for full Schengen membership and says it fully supports both countries.
