Declarations from Chisinau

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has labeled Vienna's decision to block Romania and Bulgaria from joining the Schengen area as incorrect. At a press conference in Chișinău, Van der Bellen expressed the hope that the federal executive would reconsider this decision.

"If the Schengen system is not working as it should, why would we block Romania and Bulgaria? Why not allow them to join? The question is how we could manage the flow of people, whether they are looking for work or seeking asylum in the 27 member states. In my view, this has nothing to do with the Schengen issue, and I hope that one day this decision will be reviewed. Today I am convinced that the decision was not the right one," said the President of Austria.

Austria repeatedly blocked Romania and Bulgaria from joining the Schengen area in July, arguing that access to the free movement area is not a matter of party politics but a security issue.

Currently, all EU member states except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are part of the Schengen free movement area, which also includes non-EU countries such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.