Denying Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia’s Schengen bid will weaken the EU – POLITICO
Anton Pisaroglu is an expert on European, African and Central Asian politics and security. He is CEO of the consulting company H5 Strategies.
The European Commission and the European Parliament have both given their approval to include Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia in the Schengen Agreement.
Following the Commission’s publication of positive reports on the countries’ capacity to guard the EU’s external borders at sea, in the air and on the road, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has declared that the three candidates were now ready to join the open travel zone — yet Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands have signaled their disagreement.
And once again, the internal politics of some member states threaten to get in the way of European unity, if you ignore the progress that has been made.
First, accession to the Schengen area would boost productivity and growth in Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia – meaning the EU-wide economy would benefit. All three countries are rapidly modernizing their infrastructure, while business operating costs remain relatively low and their workforces are younger and more flexible than Western European countries.
At the same time, global conglomerates moving out of Russia have already started establishing themselves in Romania and its fellow candidate countries. And their accession would make the whole EU more attractive to these companies and bring more jobs and opportunities to the single market at a time of deep economic crisis.
My home country Romania, for its part, has followed the Schengen acquis for several years now and implemented all the latest technology for border control security – the costs of which have ultimately been paid for by the Romanian people, who are among the most supportive in the EU for further integration between members.
As a front-line NATO country, strategically located close to Ukraine and Russia, Romania’s contribution to helping the Ukrainian resistance should not be overlooked either. The country has proven an invaluable partner for both the EU and NATO in fighting Russia’s hybrid warfare and moving aid to Ukraine, even as this stance fuels volatile populist politics at home.
Yet all this seems to be forgotten in some European capitals.
For example, on a recent visit to Romania, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte hesitated to accept the country’s Schengen bid on security and justice grounds, with the Dutch parliament following suit. cast a vote rejection of the question.
But in the context of the rampant organized crime taking place in the Netherlands and the country’s ongoing struggle to curb gang-related murders – including that of investigative journalist Peter de Vries in Amsterdam in broad daylight — the country’s stance risks appearing hypocritical.
Perhaps it is no coincidence either that Sweden — the other country whose members of the Riksdag expressly voted against Accession to Schengen for Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia — is currently facing a crime wave that has also shaken its society and domestic politics.
Meanwhile, Austria’s record on the rule of law and corruption has also been less than stellar, with the country’s prime ministers toppled by scandals and Russian money laundering at times making Vienna less stable than any of the EU’s eastern European members.
Seeing how Romania and Bulgaria were quick to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid earlier this year, without setting any political preconditions for their Schengen bids on Stockholm, it is natural that both Bucharest and Sofia will remain reliable partners for the West going forward – regardless of how the Schengen decision goes in the EU Council.
And while it is important to note that some problems at ports and land crossings still remain in both my native Romania and neighboring Bulgaria, these are incomparable to the serious deficiencies currently seen in major ports such as Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam in terms of the amount contraband. is being let through — including dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine, which are currently fueling an unprecedented wave of violence in Western Europe.
Allowing these three candidate countries into the Schengen area could actually lead to carriers diverting some of their goods through cheaper Eastern European ports, making global drug hubs like Rotterdam more manageable and easier to control by authorities.
And while the fact that Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia all continue to face the challenges of corruption and underdevelopment is undeniable, these issues could be resolved from within the Schengen area just as easily, if not more so.
Not recognizing these countries based on flimsy excuses, and despite the loyalty and reliability they have shown against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, would not only go against EU unity, it would also be a strategic mistake that could Euroscepticism to flare up. Europe’s sensitive east — and at the worst possible geopolitical moment.