New Romanian Prime Minister seeks entry into Schengen
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Cholaku announced that he would ask the new Minister of Internal Affairs and the new Minister of Foreign Affairs to present a plan for entry into the Schengen area, adding that Romania did not seize this opportunity last year.
This was reported by Digi24.
"I will ask the new Minister of Internal Affairs and the new Minister of Foreign Affairs to present an extended plan for the coming months to see what can be done to change the veto imposed by the right-wing Austrian government," said Cholaku to Euractiv, referring to the steps towards joining the Schengen zone. The leader of the Social Democrats avoided making predictions about the date of entry in order not to create "false expectations."
"Last year we had a chance, which those responsible at that time missed. That does not mean we will give up. I have already contacted the future President of Spain in the EU Council and the European Commission to find out what they plan to do about this in the second half of the year," Cholaku said.
He added that the country should learn from past mistakes and noted that there are no longer any culprits in this matter in the new government.
"We must involve everyone in the process and the development of the strategy and create a national coalition with everyone interested in helping Romania achieve this goal. If I can do something based on these expert recommendations, I will definitely do it," said Cholaku.
It should be recalled that liberal Nicolae Chuke resigned as Prime Minister, and the parliament approved a new government after the position of prime minister was rotated to Marcel Cholaku, the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the ruling coalition.
Responding to questions about his economic priorities, he emphasized that the goal of his government is to be at the forefront of the EU's new industry.
"I firmly believe that our continent, and especially my country, must once again become an industrial center of the world with a modern, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly industry that offers well-paid jobs," he said.
Cholaku explained that the state will "immediately intervene" to support the agri-food production and construction materials sectors through special mechanisms of financial support designed for industry development.
In addition, Cholaku stated that Romania can become a "key strategic center" through "significant investments" in the expansion and modernization of the defense industry, making the country a viable player in NATO and the EU in the region.
"We also hope to utilize new facilities created to support the industry at the European level and the added value provided by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Romania has raw infrastructure, qualified workers, energy and mineral resources, and it is a strategic regional location for such types of investments," he said.
As reported by The Gaze, Estonia stands out in the European Union with its strict visa policy regarding Schengen visas, with the highest percentage of refusals in Estonian consulates in Turkey, Egypt, and India. There are also issues with Russians and Belarusians.