President Klaus Iohannis announced on Wednesday in Brussels that the Romanian state will not boycott Austria, advocating a diplomatic solution to the Schengen dispute with Austria. Iohannis also said that Romania will not challenge the Austrian veto in EU courts.
The head of state said he would raise the Schengen issue at the European Council on 15 December, but warned that it was hard to believe he could get Austria to change its attitude.
Asked if he wanted Bulgaria to be decoupled, President Iohannis dismissed the idea, adding that the option proposed by Minister Lucian Bode at the JHA Council on 8 December was not to decouple the two countries, but to postpone the Schengen entry deadlines.
Iohannis also said he hoped that Romania would join Schengen in 2023 and rejected any blame on Romanian officials, pointing out that the fault lay with Austria, which had suddenly changed its position for internal reasons.
President Iohannis’ main statements:
- We have a packed agenda, including on energy. Energy ministers did not reach an agreement last night, but we will continue discussions
- There are issues that I will raise – the Schengen issue.
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