Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Austria and the Netherlands are saying “no” to Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, for now

| updated on 12/6/22 2:53 PM
Photo: archive

In a comment on Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, made at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte stated that next year Bulgaria could take steps forward. 

“At this stage, it's not “no” for Bulgaria, it's “not yet”. More time will be needed for two reasons: a new assessment of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and the Schengen Verification Mechanism. I spoke with President Rumen Radev and I'm optimistic that next year we can take steps forward,” Mark Rutte said.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also stated that Austria is against the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. “More time is needed. We have 75,000 unregistered illegal immigrants in Austria. This means that they have crossed the external border of the EU and have ended up in a landlocked country like Austria. We have to answer these security questions first," Karl Nehammer said.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rain to continue into the weekend

Saturday will be cloudy with cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds, especially in the afternoon. Rain will fall in many places, with thunderstorms in some areas. Winds will be moderate west-northwest. Maximum temperatures will be between 14° and 19°C, around..

published on 4/4/25 7:05 PM

21 years since the tragedy in the River Lim in which 12 Bulgarian children lost their lives

It is 21 years today since the tragedy in the River Lim on the border between Serbia and Montenegro, in which 12 Bulgarian children were killed. On 4 April, 2004, a group of 34 students and 16 adults from Svishtov were returning home from a school..

published on 4/4/25 5:22 PM

Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia sign green energy cooperation pact

Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Baku on cooperation in the transmission and trade of green energy.  The document was inked by the energy ministers of Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, Zhecho Stankov and..

published on 4/4/25 4:34 PM