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

Orange code for precipitation in eight regions of Northern Bulgaria

During the night in the Danubian Plain it will be rainy and in places the amounts will be significant. In the southeastern regions of the country the precipitation will weaken and in places it will temporarily stop. During the day it..

published on 10/7/25 7:15 PM

Uncontrolled construction and institutional inaction are the cause of the floods

The repeated floods on the Black Sea coast are the result of uncontrolled development, destroyed natural environment and institutional inaction, reads a declaration by the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria. According to the..

published on 10/7/25 4:08 PM
Kostadin Kostadinov

Kostadin Kostadinov files complaint with prosecutor's office against Boyko Borissov after Wall Street Journal article

The chairman of Vazrazhdane party, Kostadin Kostadinov, has filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office against Boyko Borissov on suspicion of treason. He bases his allegations on an article in the Wall Street Journal, which..

published on 10/7/25 3:23 PM