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

Still no deal with Austria for Schengen, negotiations are ongoing

Photo: Archive

There is no deal for Bulgaria to accept migrants against Austria's agreement to allow Bulgaria into Schengen by air, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov told bTV. "We are continuing the negotiations. This is their negotiating position, not the final result. What is acceptable is for Bulgaria to comply with the general European rules. If someone wants other rules that are specific to Bulgaria, this is categorically unacceptable. Regarding the reception of migrants - there are European rules, we will work according to them," said the Prime Minister. 

In front of bTV, Bulgarian Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov also supported the position of Prime Minister Denkov.

The reports  published in the Austrian media that Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was ready to soften Austria's Schengen veto for Romania and Bulgaria caused reactions from opposition parties. 

Austrian Freedom Party spokesman Hannes Amesbauer accused the ruling Austrian People's Party of a "planned staged retreat" and abandonment of the "Fortress Austria" plan. The MP from the opposition NEOS party, Claudia Gamon, emphasized that Romania and Bulgaria fulfill all the criteria for joining Schengen and it is "impertinence to request to negotiate for something that belongs to them". 

Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen spoke out against Vienna's veto and said their migrant problems came from Hungary, not Bulgaria and Romania, calling for "the government to better protect its investment interests" in the two countries.



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

World public service media meet in Sofia, discuss current challenges

There is no democracy and freedom without freedom of speech and pluralism, said President Rumen Radev at the opening, in Sofia, of the annual Public Broadcasters International Conference (PBI 2025) . For the first time, the Bulgarian National Radio..

published on 10/21/25 2:05 PM

BNR hosts the 2025 edition of the annual Public Broadcasters International conference

For the first time, the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) is hosting the annual Public Broadcasters International conference . The conference brings together public media bosses and executives from 24 countries across five continents. The theme..

published on 10/21/25 10:42 AM

Bulgaria wants to invite mayors from Taraclia to gain insight into how the European Union functions

Bulgaria supports the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, said Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev during the EU Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos..

published on 10/21/25 9:54 AM