site.btaPM Marcel Ciolacu: "I Won't Accept Austrian Chancellor Being a Hypocrite and Humiliating Romania Further"

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in an interview with TV Antena 3 on Monday that if in December Austria uses its veto again, Romania will refer the matter to the European Court of Justice and will ask the EU Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament to be part, together with Romania, in this process. He was referring to Vienna's veto on Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to the border-free Schengen area.

Ciolacu said that what Chancellor Karl Nehammer is doing is unacceptable.

He said: "(…) as long as I'm prime minister, I won't accept the chancellor being a hypocrite and humiliating Romania further." The Prime Minister also said that after Nehammer approved Croatia's entry in Schengen, he could not say that Romania and Bulgaria cannot join in. Although everyone proves there is no migration through Romania, he says he is against, Ciolacu commented.

Ciolacu recalled again that Romania loses at least 2% of its GDP by not joining the Schengen area.

The European Commission, the EU Council and the European Parliament have said that Romania has been ready to enter Schengen for 10 years, that it has met absolutely all technical requirements. Austria has the right to veto, but it must justify it, Ciolacu added.

Asked if information that Romania opposes the access of two Austrian army officers to NATO meetings is true, the Prime Minister replied: "Definitely!".

He noted that Romania holds the rear of the Ukrainian front, respects all sanctions against Russia without exception and helps the Republic of Moldova to stop being dependent on Russia.

He also said that Moldova has been independent of Russian gas for several weeks now. Austria, being a neutral country, "don't spend a single euro on endowment of the Army,", while "Romania increases its GDP allocation from 2% to 2.5% to deter what Russia wants to do."

Ciolacu added that, in his opinion, nearly EUR 7 billion with which Austria has bought gas and oil from Russia since the beginning of the war is being used by Putin in the Russian economy and to fuel the conflict Russia started in Ukraine. The Romanian official said in conclusion this was "dirty money".