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Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social Democrats, said on Monday that if Austria votes against Romania's accession to Schengen at the JHA Council in December, he will appeal the decision to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), an approach in which he will want to have the European institutions as partners.
"There are two moments. In October it is the first JHA reunion, in December we have the second JHA reunion - both are under the Spanish presidency and in touch with the Spanish prime minister regarding the move on the agenda. There is all openness on the part of prime minister Pedro Sánchez and all support for Romania to join the Schengen area. At the moment, with the Representation and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, we see what the best steps are. There is also a vote against Bulgaria by the Netherlands. In the meantime, the CVM has been lifted. We are also waiting for a decision from the Netherlands regarding Bulgaria, to see if we can continue to go to the package. (...) Certainly, if Austria votes against Romania's accession to the Schengen area in December, I will appeal to the CJEU. Moreover, I want that in this approach - and it is an attack of the Romanian state, not of an individual - I want to have a the European Council as partner in this appeal made at the CJEU, the European Parliament, and the European Commission, all three which support us and declared so. Therefore, things are not so comfortable for prime minister Nehammer," Marcel Ciolacu said at the end of the PSD leadership's meeting.
The head of the Executive gave assurances that he will certainly use all the means at his disposal, everything related to this subject and everything that is legal to do, because Romania's place is in Schengen.
"I will never be a hypocrite, I cannot say (...) that the Schengen area is outdated. So why did we vote for Croatia last year? This is a legitimate question of Romanians for prime minister Nehammer. I can't take that approach. If Schengen is to be destroyed, I have no problem with Austria getting out of the Schengen area, building kilometer walls with barbed wire and electricity, I have no problem. If Austria wants this approach, with fences, to pay for them, to get out of Schengen, we will also manage inside Schengen without problems," Marcel Ciolacu argued
