Romania and Bulgaria deserve to join Schengen

The European Parliament debated today in plenary session the Justice and Home Affairs Council’s decision on Schengen accession. MEP Gál Kinga, the Chair of the Fidesz Delegation Group in the European Parliament, emphasized during the debate that Romania and Bulgaria were put in an unworthy position because two old member states vetoed their accession, even though they had fully met the conditions, fiercely defended their borders, and had done a lot to curb illegal migration. Balázs Hidvéghi, MEP for Fidesz, wrote in his written contribution that the decision of Austria and the Netherlands is grossly unfair and unjust to all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens and to all communities living on their territory.

“We fully support the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen. The two countries have been waiting 11 years for Schengen membership since the European Commission first announced that they were ready to join. The European Parliament has confirmed this in numerous decisions,” said the MEP.

“The Schengen Agreement, the creation of an area without internal borders, is one of the main achievements of European integration, and it is unacceptable to exclude EU Member States from it without justification”, the MEP stressed. “It is seriously hypocritical that while Hungary is constantly, unjustifiably and unfoundedly accused of destroying European unity, the old Member States can break up the unity without any consequences on such a serious issue”, pointed out MEP Kinga Gál.

According to MEP Balázs Hidvéghi, “it is an outrageous double standard that if a central European country uses its veto, it is reprimanded, but if a western European member state does the same, it is „all right-situation””. He added that it is also very cynical that western member states are now suddenly citing illegal migration and border protection, while Hungary has been attacked for years on ideological grounds for building a border fence. “I call on the two Member States to reconsider the issue and decide in favour of the early admission of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen,” the MEP wrote.