The European People’s Party unanimously adopted, without a single vote against, a manifesto of political priorities for the period 2024-2029, which calls for the earliest possible accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. This happened at the EPP congress in Bucharest. The Austrian delegation of the ruling People’s Party refused to vote against him, despite making a similar request earlier in the day.
“We need the full acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen and the removal of not only control by air and sea, but also by land as soon as possible. We need to fix the currently dysfunctional Schengen area by further strengthening and protecting the EU’s external borders and by preventing illegal migration to Europe,” the 23-page document said.
In it, other accents related to foreign policy are placed, including Ukraine, writes BTA.
“Europe will stand united with Ukraine against Putin. Ukraine must win the war. This requires certainty regarding Ukraine’s long-term financing for its economic and social recovery, modernization and reconstruction. The EU must continue and increase its support. The war in Ukraine is directly related to European security. Ukraine should become a member of the EU and NATO as soon as it fulfills all the criteria. The EU must be ready for enlargement”, the manifesto noted.
The document envisages a tripling of Frontex employees from 10,000 to 30,000 and a larger budget for the purchase of modern equipment.
“European member states, not traffickers, should decide who enters Europe. Despite the complete refusal of the far right to engage constructively with reducing migration and the unwillingness of the left to reduce illegal migration, our priorities are clear. We must ensure stronger external borders with better and stricter checks,” the manifesto states.
It also draws attention to economic challenges. “Europe’s share of global GDP has fallen from 20 to 15 percent, while China’s has risen from 7 to 19 percent over the past half century. In addition, of the top 50 global firms, only 6 are European, while 20 are from The US and 13 from China. We must make our economy ready for new challenges”, is one of the conclusions of the document.
The EPP Congress in Bucharest continues tomorrow (March 7), when the largest European political family is expected to nominate its leading candidate on the list for the upcoming European elections in June – the current President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen.
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