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Schengen expansion: ÖVP under pressure – FPÖ warns of chaos and migration!
Interior Minister Karner supports the Schengen expansion for Romania and Bulgaria. FPÖ sharply criticizes the decision.
Schengen expansion: ÖVP under pressure – FPÖ warns of chaos and migration!
Today, December 12, 2024, there is a shocking turning point in Austrian politics: the interior ministers of the 27 EU states have decided to fully admit Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area. This decision raises the debate about migration policy interests in Austria, especially after Interior Minister Gerhard Karner promised to give up the Austrian veto, thereby abolishing controls at the borders with these countries.
The liberal EU MP Petra Steger sharply criticized this decision. She described it as an “incredible betrayal of the interests of Austrians” and warned of the consequences of this opening for illegal migration. According to Steger, the ÖVP is forcing the population into a “rotten barter deal” to install Magnus Brunner as the new EU migration commissioner, which it sees as a further expression of political horse-trading. Steger emphasized that the FPÖ will vehemently oppose Schengen expansion as long as the EU is unable to get its chaotic migration policy under control.
Political implications of Schengen expansion
The end of border controls is a significant step for the Schengen agreement, which has been a major hurdle for Bulgaria and Romania since 2007. These two countries could become full members of the Schengen area from 2025, which brings new challenges for Austria in managing migration. However, Karner states that increased external border protection will ensure that migrants can no longer enter the EU unhindered. Before the decision on the veto, 70,000 illegal border crossings from these countries could have been registered; in 2024 there will only be 4,000, which the minister presents as a success of his policy, as the South Germans reported.
The situation is tense and raises the question of how Austria's domestic politics will react to these developments. With the opening of the borders, not only the security of our own citizens is at stake, but also trust in the political leadership. The next steps of the FPÖ and the government are eagerly awaited as the EU navigates troubled waters.