Unlike us, Romanians don’t give a damn when it comes to Schengen obstacles.
“Romania is apparently blocking Austria’s participation in NATO meetings. Two army officers in Brussels are waiting weeks for their accreditation in the Alliance.
Their access is being delayed by Romania, which has asked for “time to think”. It is certain that this is revenge for the veto of the Austrian federal government on Schengen,” writes the Austrian Kurier.
On September 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna announced that Romania had requested more time, i.e. extending the period until mid-October to decide on the voluntary secondment of two officers from the Austrian armed forces to NATO headquarters.
The voluntary deployment will have to be approved by all 31 NATO allies, reports “Focus”.
“A connection with the issue of accession to Schengen was not established,” the Foreign Ministry also stated. It, in coordination with the Ministry of Defence, is in close contact with Romania to facilitate speedy approval. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Călăcu recently stepped up pressure on Austria and asked it to approve his country’s accession to Schengen by December.
If Austria votes against Romania joining Schengen at one of the next two meetings of EU interior and justice ministers, he will challenge the decision at the Court of Justice of the European Union, he said, according to Romanian news agency Agerpres.
