Editorial | Boundless love for the neighboring country

Editorial|Editorial

in the European Union speeches sometimes live in a different reality than decisions.

This week, the EU Commission said that the Schengen area free of border checks could be expanded. According to the Commission, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria are now ready to join. The Commission declared that Schengen is one of the biggest and most beautiful achievements of the EU.

But when too many people have come to the borders of the states, the old member states have introduced border formalities by their own decisions, and the Commission has not even reprimanded it. Member countries have been put to the test for much smaller corrections to the rules.

The protection of external borders and immigration are sensitive issues for the EU countries, affecting internal politics.

Year after year, many EU member states opposed the Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria, citing that organized crime is not under control in these countries. The 2015 immigration crisis fueled opposition.

There was perhaps room for improvement in the applicants’ abilities, but the main reason for opposing their Schengen membership was that in internal politics, you got more points by restricting the free movement of people than by promoting it.

Pandemic time began to change attitudes. Obstacles to free movement arose at the borders for health reasons, but the concern about the spread of crime took a back seat and the opposition softened.

The fate of the trio will be decided in the coming weeks. The decision to join requires the unanimity of the EU countries. The criteria set jointly for Schengen membership have now been proven to be fulfilled for these countries. If a consensus is not found and it is not possible to join, the member states will witness the fact that the actions are again in contradiction with the beautiful speeches emphasizing the unity of the EU.

The editorials are HS’s positions on a current topic. The articles are prepared by HS’s editorial department, and they reflect the journal principle line.