Schengen expansion into Romania and Bulgaria brings economic benefits but faces political hurdles, corruption concerns, and migration pressures.
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The expansion of the Schengen area to include Romania and Bulgaria has brought more festive New Year celebrations for those living along the Hungarian-Romanian border and those anticipating European integration. Border crossings between Debrecen and Nagyvárad, as well as Szeged and Temesvár, have become freely passable, with potential for renewed traffic on old routes severed by the border for over a hundred years. This Schengen expansion is described as a significant step in Europe’s journey from Portugal to Bulgaria, covering 4000 kilometers without any border controls. While this success is attributed to numerous volunteers, the Hungarian Prime Minister has strongly promoted it as part of his vision to strengthen Europe and connect Hungarian communities across borders. Despite public perception that this is a triumph of Hungarian diplomacy, the text notes past instances where the Hungarian government opposed or threatened to block the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. The author suggests the current expansion’s significance lies in its impact on East European economic ties, Black Sea trade, and energy corridors. Trade through the Turkish border has seen significant volume, but travelers and truckers face long queues at checkpoints near Edirne. The removal of these barriers is expected to boost GDP in the newly integrated countries and benefit European trading partners. However, the article concludes by questioning why this process took so long, pointing out that technical requirements were met much earlier, with delays attributed to political factors like corruption concerns and populist politics surrounding migration crises.
