The parties that are key for changing the Dutch stance on Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen entry have solid opinions on the issue, according to Adriaan Schout, Deputy Director of the Netherlands Institute for International Relations. A positive development on the two EU newcomers’ bids to join Schengen would be unlikely if an interim Cabinet is formed in the Netherlands, Schout has told the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.
The expert believes that the Dutch parliament may support Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids if it sees a positive Co-operation and Verification Mechanism report on the two countries in July.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned on Monday after talks with Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party on extra cutbacks worth billions of euros fell apart. Some Romanian and Bulgarian politicians have blamed their countries’ failure to join the Schengen Agreement on the Dutch Cabinet’s dependence on PVV.
The Netherlands is currently the only EU member state blocking the two Balkan countries’ Schengen bids.