“I am shocked that Romania has not yet joined Schengen,” former European Commission president says

The former president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he was "shocked" that Romania had not yet joined the Schengen area.

He visited Bucharest on Thursday, April 6, to receive an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) and meet with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis.

During his speech, Juncker, who served as president of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019, criticized the EU.

"I remain shocked that Romania has not yet joined the Schengen Area. I have advocated for Romania's accession to the Schengen Area since 2014 when I became president of the Commission, and I have continued to advocate for Romania's cause,” Juncker said at the ceremony, cited by ProTV.

"Romania is a good example for others to follow, as it is a country that has been able to derive all the benefits from its European membership. I do not like member states to be categorized differently. [...] Romania is in the premier league. Others should understand and European institutions should respect Romania just like they respect all other member states,” he added.

"I love Romania. We never know why we love someone, it's something irrational, but in the case of Romania, it is a love based on something visible - the success of this country," Juncker said.

After the ceremony, Klaus Iohannis received the former president of the European Commission at the Cotroceni Palace.

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)