Swedish Prime Minister Confirms Austrian Government Chief’s Unchanged Stance on Romania’s Schengen Accession Blockade

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also arrived there shortly, for discussions with Swedish officials.

This year, Sweden took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union and supports our country in the process of joining the free movement area.

The head of the Swedish government says that the position of the Austrian chancellor remains firm regarding keeping Romania outside the Schengen Area.

Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden: “No, he hasn’t changed it. We will keep the topic on the agenda, we will do everything we can to facilitate the discussions. We, the Swedish side, are in favor of accession. There are expectations from the European Council that this issue will be resolved this year.”

Nicolae Ciucă, Prime Minister of Romania: “Although Romania is not part of the problem, we certainly want to be part of the solution. Romania already protects the second longest border of the European Union”.

The statements are made in the context in which Sweden holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and its officials, including the prime minister, affirmed their support for our country’s accession to the free movement zone. Schengen expansion is a priority for Sweden, and Romania wants to keep the subject alive on the European agenda. In fact, it is the first time in almost 20 years that a Romanian head of government pays a visit here, to Stockholm.

Sources close to the talks claim that Austria’s position remains unchanged for domestic electoral reasons. Meanwhile, our country continues negotiations with Vienna at a technical level, as Romanian officials hope for accession this year.