After a 13-year wait, Romania and Bulgaria will officially join the Schengen zone at midnight on January 1, expanding the borderless area to 29 members and marking a historic milestone for the two Eastern European nations. This long-awaited inclusion, delayed by political objections and migration concerns, is finally a reality thanks to Austria and other members withdrawing their vetoes in December.
The transition, celebrated with ceremonies at various border crossings, comes after years of frustration. Although Romania and Bulgaria, both EU members since 2007, met Schengen’s technical requirements as early as 2011, opposition from member states kept them on the sidelines. Their partial inclusion in March, which removed border checks at ports and airports, still left land border controls intact—until now.
A breakthrough was achieved when a “border protection package” deal addressed migration concerns, particularly for Austria, which had previously threatened to block their entry. The deal paved the way for full Schengen membership for these two nations, which rank among the EU’s poorest.
The Schengen zone, established in 1985, now spans 25 of the EU’s 27 members, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, encompassing over 400 million people. The inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria is seen as a symbol of progress, but it has also stirred political undercurrents.
In Romania, delays in joining Schengen became a rallying cry for anti-EU factions, fueling resentment and claims of unfair treatment. This sentiment played out dramatically in recent presidential elections, where far-right candidate Calin Georgescu scored a shocking first-round victory before the polls were abruptly canceled over allegations of Russian interference.
For Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen milestone represents not just open borders but a step closer to shedding old stigmas and embracing a future firmly rooted in European unity.
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