Hungary Stands to Benefit from Schengen Expansion

Entire regions, divided up by the Trianon Peace Treaty, can finally find a sense of unity.

Police perform border checks at the German border (Photo: NurPhoto via AFP)

While the Orban government is frequently accused of being anti-EU and anti-West, it should not be overlooked that its actions, lobbying efforts, and "pressure tactics" have paved the way for Croatia’s entry into the European Union. Budapest is the venue where the bloc's competitiveness declaration was adopted, and the Hungarian government has been a consistent supporter of the EU's continued enlargement. In fact, it was the Hungarian EU presidency that proposed, and the Council of EU Interior Ministers in Brussels approved, Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area. And these are just some of the highlights.

Let's now focus on the significance of this "Eastern" — or more precisely, eastern and south-eastern — expansion. For historical context, on December 30, 2023, the European Council agreed to abolish border checks at shared internal air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania. Starting March 31, 2024, both countries will fully implement the Schengen regulations, eliminating checks at internal air and sea borders. Following this initial step, the Council was required to make an additional decision regarding the abolition of checks at internal land borders.

Under the aforementioned decision, land border checks between Romania, Bulgaria, and the existing members of the Schengen zone will cease as of January 1. For the two countries, this marks the realization of a dream nearly two decades in the making.

Because Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting since 2007 to join the unified, border-control-free European agreement. This agreement, initially a standalone treaty, has been part of EU law since 1999. Put simply, any country joining the EU must commit to fulfilling the Schengen requirements. Beginning in 2025, lengthy border checks — often lasting hours or even days — will be abolished. Additionally, Romanians and Bulgarians will enter the EU's unified visa zone and participate in judicial collaborations that facilitate law enforcement cooperation in combating crime across the EU. But the question of why this process took so long is completely justified. When Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, it seemed that their Schengen accession would follow relatively quickly. However, the migration crisis and the pandemic caused repeated delays.

Later, the two countries’ entry into the Schengen system was blocked by Austria and the Netherlands, with both insisting that Bulgaria and Romania meet the strict EU conditions established in 2011. These requirements were not met, leading to vetoes. Of course, behind the scenes, concerns about corruption in Romania and Bulgaria have also played a role, although this was not officially acknowledged. In short, the current expansion comes after a period of prolonged resistance.

Hungary played a pivotal role during its rotating EU presidency by brokering an agreement that included not only Romania and Bulgaria,but also Austria. Under the agreement, border controls will be reinforced along the southern borders of the new member states, with support from the EU through Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

Temporary border checks may still occur, but these are expected to be lifted in the coming months.

By the way, the Schengen zone is one of the EU's cornerstone achievements. It began as an intergovernmental project in 1985 with five EU countries — France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg — and has since grown into the world’s largest area of free movement. With the "admission" of Romania and Bulgaria, roughly 450 million people can travel freely within the Schengen member states without undergoing border checks. Statistics show that approximately 3.5 million people cross internal borders daily for work, study, or to visit friends and family, and nearly 1.7 million people live in one Schengen country while working in another.

The Schengen Area offers significant economic benefits to citizens and businesses in participating states. It was created with the intention to provide a solid foundation for the EU and its single market. Its advantages are tangible in everyday life: consider how West Hungarian border towns have flourished since joining Schengen in 2006, with regions now almost seamlessly integrated. A series of road constructions could follow, similar to what occurred between Slovakia and Hungary along the Ipoly River, or the Austria-Hungary border. This process will likely be accelerated by the expansion of the Arad and, particularly, the Oradea metropolitan areas toward Hungary. The Schengen accession will undoubtedly benefit the affected small Hungarian town and villages.

Not to mention the fact that entire regions, divided up by the Treaty of Trianon, can finally find a sense of unity.

With a bit of exaggeration, we can say that Schengen is now giving back what Trianon took away.

The author is a leading analyst at the daily Vilaggazdasag