Campaigning PM says Romania will join Schengen with its land borders on January 1, 2025

Romania will join the Schengen Area with its land borders starting January 1, 2025, according to Romanian prime minister and Social Democrat (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu, who was on a visit to Brussels on Monday, November 18.

The Romanian PM said during an interview that the decision regarding Romania’s accession with land borders will be finalized on Friday, November 22, in Budapest.

Ciolacu has shown optimism regarding the process in recent weeks, but this is the first time he mentioned specific dates.

“The most important meeting is on Friday, November 22, in Budapest. They will finalize the document that will be presented in COREPER, and on December 13 it will be officially acknowledged during the JHA Council meeting,” Marcel Ciolacu explained, cited by Euronews Romania.

According to the PSD leader, who is also the frontrunner in the presidential elections according to recent polls, Romania already has an agreed-upon timeline for the next steps.

“This puts an end to the notion that Romanians are second-class citizens in the EU. This is, first and foremost, a victory for Romania,” he said.

Marcel Ciolacu also highlighted a recent meeting between the Romanian and Austrian interior ministers, Austria being the only country blocking Romania’s entry into Schengen. Although minister Catalin Predoiu expressed cautious optimism, the PM was eager to celebrate an as yet unconfirmed achievement.

During his visit to the Belgian capital, Ciolacu also met NATO’s new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, the newly elected president of the European Council, António Costa, and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The prime minister was accompanied by a governmental delegation, including foreign minister Luminița Odobescu and defense minister Angel Tîlvăr.

Another Romanian presidential hopeful, leader of the National Liberal Party and Senate president Nicolae Ciucă, met with Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer also on Monday, November 18.

"I met today in Vienna with chancellor Karl Nehammer. Our main topic of discussion was Romania's accession to the Schengen Area. I am confident that the final decisions will be made soon at the technical level. I thank our ministers of internal affairs and Foreign Affairs for their continued efforts to successfully conclude the accession process," Ciucă wrote on X.

Both politicians are part of the center-right European People’s Party group.