04:24Austria: ‘Stronger Schengen means safer Europe’ – EP President addresses National Council amid Vienna’s veto on zone expansion
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urged Vienna to agree on Schengen Area expansion amid Vienna's refusal of the proposal, speaking while addressing the Austrian National Council in Vienna on Thursday
Metsola stated that Europe would be safer with a 'stronger' Schengen zone, saying that 'differences' made Europe 'stronger'.
"A stronger Schengen means a safer Europe. A closer Europe means a better Europe. Our Europe is not a faraway entity. Europe does not seek to make everyone the same or homogeneous. We understand that we are different, that we have different cultures, national realities, and our differences and our ability to come together is precisely what makes us strong," Metsola explained.
European Parliament President went on saying that EU nations must remain 'future-driven' and be able to accept changes.
"We can do so while reinforcing the foundations of our European projects. Nostalgia may give us a blanket of comfort, but it cannot drive politics," she added.
Metsola’s remarks come a month after Vienna decided to maintain its veto on the extension of the EU’s passport-free Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg reportedly declared that the decision would remain until the government sees a sustained decline in asylum seekers applications, which reached 110,000 in 2022.
During her speech, the European Parliament President mentioned that the war in Ukraine ‘poses an existential threat to the European Union’, stating that what happens in Ukraine would shape global relations for years to come.
“The brutal invasion is our line in the sand. Every generation faces one, and this is ours. We know what it takes, we know that our freedoms, our values, our security are worth the short-term decisions that we must take,” she said.
04:24European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urged Vienna to agree on Schengen Area expansion amid Vienna's refusal of the proposal, speaking while addressing the Austrian National Council in Vienna on Thursday
Metsola stated that Europe would be safer with a 'stronger' Schengen zone, saying that 'differences' made Europe 'stronger'.
"A stronger Schengen means a safer Europe. A closer Europe means a better Europe. Our Europe is not a faraway entity. Europe does not seek to make everyone the same or homogeneous. We understand that we are different, that we have different cultures, national realities, and our differences and our ability to come together is precisely what makes us strong," Metsola explained.
European Parliament President went on saying that EU nations must remain 'future-driven' and be able to accept changes.
"We can do so while reinforcing the foundations of our European projects. Nostalgia may give us a blanket of comfort, but it cannot drive politics," she added.
Metsola’s remarks come a month after Vienna decided to maintain its veto on the extension of the EU’s passport-free Schengen area to Bulgaria and Romania.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg reportedly declared that the decision would remain until the government sees a sustained decline in asylum seekers applications, which reached 110,000 in 2022.
During her speech, the European Parliament President mentioned that the war in Ukraine ‘poses an existential threat to the European Union’, stating that what happens in Ukraine would shape global relations for years to come.
“The brutal invasion is our line in the sand. Every generation faces one, and this is ours. We know what it takes, we know that our freedoms, our values, our security are worth the short-term decisions that we must take,” she said.