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

Political scientist Prof. Reinhard Heinisch:

Austria will lift the Schengen veto after next year's elections

Photo: EPA/BGNES archive

Austria will give up the Schengen veto after next year's parliamentary elections, Austrian political scientist Prof. Reinhard Heinisch predicted in an interview for the BNR. Together with the Netherlands, Austria opposes the expansion of the Schengen area. 

What could force the government to reconsider its position towards Bulgaria and Romania are the interests of Austrian businesses, the political scientist believes. "During the parliamentary discussion, it became clear that Austrian companies suffer losses from the fact that both countries are outside Schengen," he said.

According to Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, it is "absolutely imperative" to become part of Schengen by the end of the year, since 2024 is an election year for the EU, and important decisions are difficult to make in such a period.



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

Expect scorching temperatures and a light breeze

It will be clear across the country tonight, with a light easterly breeze in eastern Bulgaria. Expect another hot and sunny day, with temperatures reaching 35–40 °C. Later in the day, a cold atmospheric front will move in from the west,..

published on 6/26/25 7:05 PM
Photo: Municipality of Karnobat / Facebook

A large fire is burning near Karnobat, the BG-Alert system to be activated

A large fire stretching about 10 kilometers is burning east of the town of Karnobat, Burgas district, reported the mayor of Karnobat Municipality Georgi Dimitrov. Due to strong winds, extinguishing the fire is difficult, said BNR’s correspondent..

published on 6/26/25 6:10 PM

A culinary festival in Chepelare marks the start of the summer mountain tourist season

A vibrant and free-entry event will mark the beginning of the summer mountain tourist season in the Rhorope town of Chepelare. Starting on June 27 at 6:00 pm in Olympic Square, the festival will offer a combination of traditional Rhodope cuisine and..

published on 6/26/25 5:57 PM