Romanian president speech: “I am upset and disappointed. Austria claimed that the Schengen area cannot be expanded, because there are too many migrants. But for Croatia they knew how to vote YES. Various data were circulated, which did not coincide with our data, nor with Frontex’s data” […]
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This was during a joint press conference after a meeting with the Switzerland president, ( [https://www-presidency-ro.translate.goog/ro/media/declaratii-de-presa/declaratiile-de-presa-comune-sustinute-de-presedintele-romaniei-klaus-iohannis-cu-presedintele-confederatiei-elvetiene-ignazio-cassis?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en](https://www-presidency-ro.translate.goog/ro/media/declaratii-de-presa/declaratiile-de-presa-comune-sustinute-de-presedintele-romaniei-klaus-iohannis-cu-presedintele-confederatiei-elvetiene-ignazio-cassis?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en) )
I read in another article there would be a legal challenge.
Can someone please explain to me if this is likely to change anything for the better or if it’s likely Romania is likely to join next vote?
Consider me ignorant and also pissed off at Austria’s govt
Full discourse
*The vote in the JAI Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania and I must say that I was disappointed and upset after receiving the result of this vote. This disappointment and anger comes from the fact that for 11 years we have been striving, negotiating and hoping to enter the Schengen area with full rights – we, the Romanians, after during this year which is coming to an end, we had several notable successes.*
*Let’s not forget that one of the main obstacles when it came to integration in the Schengen area was the existence of the MCV, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. And we managed, together with the Government, together with the Coalition, to reach the point where the European Commission considered that this mechanism was completed and was lifted. We managed, through an intense and very good collaboration with the Netherlands, to convince the Dutch partners to change their opinion on the Schengen issue towards Romania and to propose to the Dutch Parliament the Government a positive vote for Romania, a matter approved by the Dutch Parliament. Also this year, the political equation in Sweden changed and, initially, the Swedish Parliament was not at all excited about Romania’s possible accession to the Schengen area. We collaborated, negotiated, discussed and removed Sweden’s reservations as well.*
*On November 16, here in Bucharest, in the Palace of the Parliament, there was a meeting of the interior ministers from the European Union, in the so-called Salzburg Format, Salzburg being a city in Austria, and at the end of this meeting, the ministers issued a statement, which was very clear:* ***Romania and Bulgaria are welcome in the Schengen area – a matter signed and supported including by the minister of the interior from Austria, on November 16. Only two days later, the same Austrian Minister of the Interior was declaring in front of the Austrian press that Austria could not accept an enlargement of the Schengen area***, *a matter that was difficult to understand.* ***Various data were circulated, which in no way coincided with our data, nor with Frontex’s data, and when the vote was taken, an interesting thing happened: Austria claimed for two weeks – that was how long the whole NO stage lasted – that the Schengen area cannot be expanded because there are too many migrants. But for Croatia they knew how to vote YES, for Romania and Bulgaria they knew how to vote NO.***
***This way of doing politics in the European Union cannot be considered positive***, *it is very clear that migration is a problem for the European Union, but it is equally clear that* ***Romania does not allow illegal migration and is not the cause of illegal migration***. *So, basically, Romania received an undeserved NO for a matter that we did not cause, on the contrary, Romania is very active in combating illegal migration. That’s why even the Romanians citizens didn’t understand where this refusal came from, and people are angry, many are downright outraged and I can understand them.*
*But in politics it doesn’t matter if you’re angry or frustrated or happy. In politics, we are elected to solve the problems of the community, the problems of the nation and that is what I will continue to do. This vote, even if it upset and disappointed me, does not make me back down. And personally I will remain very connected to the phenomenon and I am determined to take things further until Romania becomes a member of the Schengen area. This will not be easy. Now, on Wednesday and Thursday, probably also on Friday, we will have a meeting of the European Council and* ***I will certainly raise this issue in the European Council***. *There will be a debate, there will probably be different opinions, but a new vote will only happen when the JAI Board meets again, and from the data we have at the moment, it is hard to believe that in so few days there will be a change of mind on the Austrian side. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to discuss. Union problems, diplomatic problems, economic problems, collaboration problems are solved by discussing and looking for solutions together. I will take things further and I am convinced that we will find solutions for this problem as well.*
*As this year we also found solutions for the MCV, to change the Dutch NO to the Dutch YES, to change the Swedish NO to the Swedish YES, we will continue the discussions with the Austrian side, with the European Commission and I am very determined, I repeat, – the same decision it is also at the level of the Government – to solve this problem. For me, an upset or frustration of this type has never stopped me from pursuing what is good for the community that elected me, and this time it is the Romanian nation, and I will be totally involved. If it is time to look for culprits, there are certainly things that could have been done differently, better, although it is difficult for me to understand how you can do better if,* ***just two weeks before the vote, one party inexplicably changes its attitude towards vote***. *I will probably return to this matter many times. The next discussion that I am very willing and open to have with journalists will be in Brussels, before the Summit between the European Union and ASEAN, respectively before the Council, and I think it will take a while until we find a solution, but Romania’s integration into the Schengen Area remains an objective national strategy and remains an objective for me personally.*
Maybe, and I’m no statesman, if Romania set up border controls with neighbouring EU countries and only let EU citizens…out.
We focus on not letting people IN, but will let anybody OUT.
Meantime Romanians everywhere are boycotting Austrian banks, goods and services.
And that’s why we boycott Austria. I already moved from their bank.