MEPs: Still Unclear When Bulgaria Could Join Schengen, Full Access to Common Market Impossible without Eurozone Membership

Nikolay Zabov

From left: MEPs Eva Maria Poptcheva, Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Meglena Plougchieva, Sofia, September 18, 2023 (BTA Photo)

Sofia,

18.09.2023 16:07

(BTA)

MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, head of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) delegation to the Renew Europe Group, told reporters here Monday that there is still no indication of a specific deadline for Bulgaria to be accepted into Schengen. The MEP took part in a panel dedicated to strengthening the Schengen area and the eurozone by fully integrating Bulgaria and Romania, which was part of a European Parliament conference titled Ever closer Union - the Bulgarian contribution to full European integration.

Kyuchyuk was adamant that letting Bulgaria into Schengen will not make more people leave the country, and neither Austria nor the Netherlands will accept more people.

Austria and the Netherlands remain opposed to the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria, for what analysts and politicians see as essentially political reasons.

Kyuchyuk pointed out that Bulgaria has no problem with the European institutions. There is, however, a problem in the domestic politics of two countries - in the Netherlands elections are due on November 22, while in Austria they are due next year. According to Kyuchyuk, Bulgaria failed to communicate with the Austrian and Dutch people.

One of the myths that persist is that Bulgaria will parasitize the Austrian and Dutch social systems. Kyuchyuk dismissed this myth and added that Bulgaria could give huge potential to these countries and inject life force into their economies. He said: "Bulgaria has huge political and human potential and produces people with high added value, but many of them are outside the country. It is time for Bulgarian foreign policy to be oriented towards the diaspora".

Kyuchyuk stated that Bulgaria joining the euro area cannot be a topic of discussion, unless Bulgaria has already joined Schengen.

MEP Eva Maria Poptcheva, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, said that having Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen would benefit not just those two countries but also all pro-European political forces.

Poptcheva pointed out that Bulgaria cannot take full advantage of the EU's common market, because Bulgaria is not a member of the euro area. Around BGN 1.5 billion a year is lost by companies, because they have to revalue from leva to euro and make transfers to banks, which are in the EU, Poptcheva said. There is also a currency risk for investors who want to invest financially in Bulgaria.

According to Poptcheva, Bulgaria risks nothing by joining the euro area. The country already suffers from high inflation without being a member of the euro area, higher than the inflation in Croatia, Poptcheva said. Bulgaria is in a currency board, the lev is pegged to the euro, and there will be no difference in the exchange rate, she explained.

Kyuchyuk said that the matter should be discussed here, however, there are still no conditions in Bulgaria for a calm debate on joining the eurozone.

/DS/