Bulgaria: WCC-DB questions the activity of Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel regarding Schengen

"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) disputed the agreement on prime ministerial rotation with GERB, questioning the activity of the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Mariya Gabriel in relation to Bulgaria's entry into Schengen. In March of next year, Gabriel must replace Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov in the post by virtue of the agreement between WCC-DB and GERB and their joint ruling program. However, the main goal is/was: "Joining Bulgaria to the Schengen area by the end of 2023", which at this moment seems unattainable.

Deputies from WCC-DB have officially asked Mariya Gabriel "what measures she will take by the end of the year in her capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister for the admission of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Schengen Area by the end of 2023, which priority is among the main reasons for the support of the rotating government by the WCC-DB coalition."

And they add:

"We observe the continuous efforts of Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov, as well as individual people's representatives from the ruling majority, for the accelerated completion of the process of accepting our country into the Schengen area, but we note with concern the less active role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in upholding this goal.

We would not like to risk Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic direction of development due to missed opportunities for action. Therefore, we will demand from the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs a written report for each week."

This announcement comes against the background of the visit of Prime Minister Denkov to Vienna, where Austria again refused to lift the "veto" on Bulgaria's membership....