EU migration pact won’t sway Austria on Schengen and Romania, president says

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis recently said that the new EU Migration Pact will not change Austria's position regarding Romania's accession to the Schengen Area.

The president made the statement at the European Political Community Summit.

“A lot has been discussed in recent days about this Migration Pact. Honestly, the progress achieved, in my opinion, is quite modest, but it is progress, and we acknowledge that. It's a step forward from where we were, as for years, negotiations have been ongoing, and the positions of the states have been very different, leading to no agreement,” Iohannis said.

Ambassadors of EU member states gathered in Brussels this week and reached an agreement on a key text regarding the European political reform on migration, overcoming Italian reservations, ahead of a summit of the 27 EU members in Spain on Friday.

Only minor progress was achieved after intense recent negotiations, the Romanian president stressed. “I don't believe that this step, the so-called Migration Pact, will change Austria's position. More is needed, more negotiations are required, and I hope these will take place and yield results," he added.

Back in December 2022, Austria rejected Romania and Bulgaria’s bid for Schengen membership, arguing that the two countries could not effectively control their borders, which would become the EU’s external borders after their Schengen accession.

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)