London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Croatia to join Schengen free-travel zone in 2023

Croatia to join Schengen free-travel zone in 2023

But Romania and Bulgaria were left out as Austria objects to their inclusion.
Croatia will join Europe’s Schengen visa-free travel zone on January 1. Romania and Bulgaria, however, will have to wait.

The Council of the EU, which represents EU countries, revealed the decision Thursday afternoon.

“I am confident that these successes will pave the way for other member states who fulfill the conditions to take the next step in their European journeys,” said Vít Rakušan, interior minister for the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

“My colleagues and I will continue to work hard to ensure that we can welcome Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen family in the near future,” he added.

The announcement came as justice and home affairs ministers were meeting in Brussels to discuss a planned expansion of the Schengen zone, which allows borderless movement between 26 mostly EU countries. 

The original plan had been to admit Croatia along with Romania and Bulgaria as a package deal. But that scheme fell apart after Austria vowed to veto Romania and Bulgaria’s accession, arguing that the countries were failing to handle a surge in migrants coming to the EU. 

One EU diplomat said a final decision on Romania and Bulgaria was put off because of objections from two countries. In addition to Austria, the Netherlands has also previously expressed opposition to Bulgaria’s admission.

“The positions have not changed: The fate of Bulgaria and Romania is postponed,” the diplomat said, adding that two countries had blocked their advancement.

“The presidency has tried everything to change positions, in vain,” the diplomat added, recounting that there was “a certain bitterness in the room.”

For Croatia, the decision represents the second major step the country has taken this year toward European integration — it was already given the green light in July to join the euro currency in 2023.

With Croatia’s admission, the Schengen zone will soon include 23 EU countries, as well as a handful of non-EU countries like Switzerland and Iceland.

In the run-up to the meeting, officials were still holding out hope that even if Romania and Bulgaria didn’t get a formal green light, they could still agree on a timeline to admit the countries. But that appears to not have happened.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, has already endorsed all three countries for membership. But decisions regarding Schengen enlargement ultimately need unanimous support from all 27 EU member countries.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s meeting, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson expressed regret at the outcome and vowed to press ahead with Romania and Bulgaria’s membership bids.

“They have fulfilled all the requirements necessary,” she told reporters. “They deserve to be part of Schengen.”

Johansson expressed hope the issue would be resolved before her current term expires in mid-2024.

“I’m sure that we will succeed,” she said. “The sooner it can be achieved the better.”

Despite her optimism, Romania and Bulgaria were both left grumbling on Thursday night. Romania, especially, has expressed frustration in recent days as its Schengen bid hit 11th-hour snags.

In a statement late on Thursday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called the outcome “profoundly unfair for our country and for Romanian citizens.”

Romania, Iohannis noted, had done everything asked of it, citing the Commission’s own evaluation. And he trained his ire on Austria, saying the country had chosen to “ignore these realities” — a decision he dubbed “inexplicable.”

He added: “The regrettable and unjustified attitude of Austria in today’s meeting risks affecting European unity and cohesion, which we need so much, especially in the current geopolitical context.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×