site.btaRomanian MEP Busoi: Bulgaria, Romania Were Sacrificed in Political Game so Austrian Chancellor Could Achieve Personal Goals

A Balkan Schengen would only be possible if Bulgaria and Romania were also accepted by land into the European free movement area, Romanian MEP Cristian Busoi told BTA on Friday. He pointed out that at this stage European legislation does not allow this to happen.

He expressed the opinion that Bulgaria and Romania were sacrificed in a political game so that Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer could achieve his personal goals. "We all know that the refusal so far was due to Austria’s political game, conditioned mainly by internal factors", Busoi noted.

The MEP argued that there is not a single legal argument to stop Bulgaria and Romania from full Schengen accession.

The full transcript of the interview follows:

Q: Mr. Busoi, is the idea of abolishing controls on the land borders between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, or in other words the so-called regional, Balkan Schengen, realistic in your opinion?

A: It would be extremely good for us, as well as for Bulgarian and Greek citizens, if they stopped wasting time at borders and if carriers no longer waited in long queues for days. Unfortunately, the way European legislation looks at the moment, this cannot happen. It would only be possible when Romania and Bulgaria are accepted into the Schengen area by land. The Schengen Borders Code, and the directives that supplement this legislation, leave no room for such a contrivance.

Q: And is the idea of a mini-Schengen between Bulgaria and Romania also a contrivance?

A: We, as Member States, cannot violate European law. At the moment, it is not advisable to take measures that contradict it. We can talk about measures to better streamline traffic in the region, we can work together to facilitate transit, but we must respect EU law.

Q: What can and should Romania and Bulgaria do from now on with regard to Schengen?

A: Cooperate openly and transparently to promote our common interest. Strengthening the common lobby, defending the points of view that we have.  If we speak with one voice with clear, firm arguments and if we leave no room for interpretation, we can also make Austria more flexible in its position.

It is very important to say that Bulgaria and Romania have met all the conditions and it is our right to be in the Schengen area. There is not a single legal argument to stop us. Recently, I remind you, we were granted air and sea access to Schengen, which clearly proves that we have done our job and strengthened our borders. We all know that Austria's refusal so far has been a political game, determined mainly by internal factors. Citizens are concerned about external migration. We have been sacrificed in a political game so that Austrian Chancellor Nehammer can achieve his personal goals.

Q: However, the elections in Austria have now passed. Are you optimistic that by the end of the year we will also join the Schengen area by land?

A: I hope so. After the elections in Austria, I think we will achieve that goal.

Q: Will a compromise be reached with European farmers, whose discontent in Brussels has reached its peak? And how can the problems of Romanian farmers in particular be solved?

A: Farmers need real support to invest and produce healthy food. I believe that the solutions must include, among other things, direct financial support, reducing bureaucracy, investment in agricultural infrastructure, encouraging local production. And innovation in agriculture should not just be a nice slogan. Research, re-engineering, the adoption of sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions cannot be carried out without adequate funding.

Let us not forget: agriculture is an area of strategic importance. We cannot afford to rely on others for our livelihood. I am convinced that an honest dialogue between representatives of farmers in Romania and representatives of the Government will lead to the best solutions being found.

What I can tell you clearly is that the EPP Group, to which I belong as a Member of the National Liberal Party, has consistently defended a strong and well-funded common agricultural policy (CAP). We will continue to push for a larger CAP budget, given the challenges faced not only by Romanian farmers, but also by farmers in several EU Member States.

Q: Should the resignation of European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski be called for? Something hinted at by the Romanian Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu.  

A: Neither should it be demanded, nor can a minister procedurally demand it. It is simply a political gesture.

Q: We are entering an election year. What do you expect from the European elections?

A: I am looking forward to extremism being defeated at the polls. I expect EU citizens to go to the polls en masse and vote for the parties that have brought prosperity over the last 30 years, not the populists. The EU has brought peace and prosperity. We are now going through more difficult times because of successive crises, but the benefits we have all gained from the creation of the European Union are undeniable.

We in the East perhaps know best what lack of food, lack of freedom of movement or lack of horizons means. Perhaps many citizens in the West who have not known the regimes in which we have lived have, in the end, become more vulnerable to populist, extremist messages. But perhaps it is time for us in the East to be better heard. The EU stands for freedom, prosperity and a guarantee of lasting peace.

Our opponents are outside the EU and we have had the opportunity to see what it means for an authoritarian regime to violate international law and attack a sovereign state. We must be as united as possible in these difficult times and as determined as possible to preserve our European way of life, not to be affected by propaganda and populism without solutions.