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REPER MEP Dacian Cioloş, former Prime Minister of the Romanian Government, asks the coalition leaders for a clear negotiation plan and a coordinated team on the subject of Schengen.
Dacian CiolosPhoto: Agepres
“After the elections taking place today in the state of Lower Austria, one of the reasons why Chancellor Karl Nehammer was totally inflexible on the subject of Schengen, I expect the Romanian Government to have a clear diplomatic offensive plan from tomorrow to bring up the subject of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen on the EU agenda,” Dacian Cioloş said on Sunday, quoted in a press release.
The MEP details what he expects from the Government on this topic: “a negotiation plan, a negotiation team strengthened with institutions, but also people who have competences in these fields and a constant political pressure on Austria and the Netherlands to sit down at the negotiation table “.
“Bulgaria should also be part of this plan, which, although it is going to organize elections, has a government in office with a prime minister who has proven that he can negotiate effectively even if he is invested with limited powers. From the experience of lifting Canadian visas for Romanian citizens, which we succeeded in 2016, I know that coordination with Bulgaria helps, even if even then the neighbors had elections and their own agenda”, Cioloş also conveyed.
He claims that “a referral of Austria to the CJEU by Romania can put additional pressure”.
“From my point of view, if this is resorted to, it must be only a part of the negotiation plan, not the central element. The decision in the council remains a political one, and the analysis and a possible good resolution for us from the CJEU on such a referral could even take several years”, Cioloş also declared.
He claims that he does not see “for now an effective coordination of the Romanian ministers on this subject”.
“I just hope that we don’t sit and wait for others to solve our problem – or for it to solve itself, as a consequence of some discussions on asylum and migration policy, because every day we lose a good moment and any new failure will fueling distrust in society both in Romanian politics and in the EU,” Dacian Cioloş also declared
