– “It is a tremendous accomplishment that the Committee of Permanent Representatives, composed of ambassadors from EU member states to the European Union, has prepared a Council decision on eliminating checks at the shared internal land borders with Bulgaria and Romania starting January 1, 2025. This is undoubtedly attributable to the efficiency of Hungary’s EU presidency,” Bernadett Petri – a researcher at the Europe Strategy Research Institute of the National University of Public Service – told the daily Magyar Nemzet.
As is known, the interior ministers of Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria reviewed the results of their joint efforts against illegal migration and concluded that there are no obstacles to Romania's and Bulgaria's full Schengen membership. The official decision is expected to be made by EU interior ministers in Brussels on December 12.
Success of Hungarian Presidency a national interest
The researcher recalled that PM Viktor Orban declared at the start of Hungary’s EU presidency, during his speech at Tusvanyos, that the accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area was a top priority. This move serves not only Hungary’s national interest but also that of Hungarian communities living across the state border. She added that
even Ylva Johansson, the EU's outgoing Home Affairs Commissioner, had congratulated Hungary’s Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, acknowledging that the highly successful Budapest summit was largely due to his personal commitment.
– “The accession represents a major advancement for these two countries, especially considering that while current Schengen states needed an average of five years to achieve the removal of internal border checks, the remaining three candidates - Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus - have waited far longer. Bulgaria and Romania have been in limbo for 16 years, while Cyprus has been waiting for 19 years,” Ms. Petri said. Although the European Commission deemed Bulgaria and Romania ready for membership 13 years ago, the decision was blocked by Austria and the Netherlands, with both countries' leaders citing concerns over Schengen’s inefficacy, especially in terms of the EU mismanaging the pressures of illegal migration and people smuggling, she said.
Migration pact
After 2021, Bulgaria became one of the key entry points along what's known as the Western Balkan migration route. Meanwhile, Romania began facing severe challenges with irregular migration in 2019. After several failed attempts to breach the Hungary-Serbia state border, smugglers and migrants shifted their efforts toward Romania, bypassing Hungary’s border fence. Ms. Petri explained that the new agreement, or pact, includes the deployment of a multinational police contingent to secure the new external Schengen borders against illegal migration. She highlighted that this approach is a far more effective method for curbing illegal migration than the reintroduction of internal border checks.
The creation of the Schengen Area is one of the greatest achievements of European integration, she declared.
– “However, over the past decade, the Schengen zone has come under growing pressure due to the EU’s mismanagement of the intensifying migration crises, as evidenced by the trecent months' terrorist attacks in Germany. This has led several Schengen countries to reinstate border checks, initially as temporary measures, but increasingly for extended periods,” Ms. Petri explained.
Can we expect change in the EU?
– “Ensuring the functionality of the Schengen system is a treaty obligation for the EU. Migration policy plays a key role here, because the reintroduction of internal borders signals that a member state considers its public order and internal security so severely threatened that it must sacrifice one of Europe’s most valued achievements: a borderless union,” Ms. Petri remarked.
Under current EU treaties, the bloc cannot take any actions that jeopardize the functioning of the Schengen Area, nor should it place member states in positions where they feel compelled to restrict this achievement due to the glaring failures of EU's migration policy,
– she added. When asked whether the formation of a new U.S. administration under Donald Trump could influence the EU's migration policy, ms. Petri suggested that this is not solely tied to the American elections. “In the medium term, Trump’s migration policies could guide European policy toward reason and protecting European interests. At the very least, they could provide a counter-example for Europe, demonstrating that migration policy can indeed be driven by common sense.”
What we see now in terms of migration indicates that the will and expectations of European citizens cannot be sidelined indefinitely. This was already evident at the October EU summit, where European leaders took positions on migration that differed from their earlier stances,
– she explained. She noted that with elections approaching in several European countries, the promise to handle illegal migration effectively has become a mobilizing force for voters. However, as this is impossible with the current EU rules, the Netherlands - for instance - has sought exemptions from certain EU regulations, while other countries have decided to reinstate the internal borders, thereby undermining the Schengen Area’s functionality.
Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and European Council President Charles Michel (Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)
