Romania and Bulgaria deserve Schengen accession

At today’s plenary session, the European Parliament discussed the decision of the Council of the Interior and Justice on Schengen accession. Kinga Gál MEP, the president of the Fidesz European Parliament group, emphasized during the debate that Romania and Bulgaria were put in an unworthy position because two old members vetoed their accession although they fully fulfilled the conditions, they are defending their borders hard and have done a lot to curb illegal migration. Fidesz MEP Balázs Hidvéghi also emphasized in his written comments: Austria and Holland’s decision is seriously unfair and unjust towards all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens and all communities living in their territory.

“We fully support the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. The two countries have been waiting for Schengen membership for 11 years, when the European Commission first announced that they were ready to join. Then the European Parliament confirmed this fact in its countless decisions,” said Kinga Gál.

“The Schengen agreement, the creation of an area without internal borders, is one of the main achievements of European integration, it is unacceptable that we are unjustifiably excluded these two countries from it,” emphasized the MEP. “From this point of view it is a seriously hypocritical behavior that Hungary is constantly, unjustly and basely accused of breaking up European unity, while these old member states can really break the unity without any consequences on such a serious issue,” Kinga Gál added.

According to Fidesz EP representative Balázs Hidvéghi, “it’s a blatant double standard that if a Central European country uses the veto right, it will be reprimanded, but if a similar Western European community does it, it’s fine.” He added: it is also cynical that the West now suddenly refers to illegal migration and years of border protection, since the current Hungary has been attacked for ideological reasons due to the construction of the border fence. “I ask the two member states to reconsider the issue and decide in favor of the Schengen admission of Romania and Bulgaria as soon as possible!” – wrote the MEP.