President of the European Parliament (EP) Roberta Metsola stated on Tuesday that she will fight so that Romania joins Schengen in 2023, according to Agerpres.

Roberta Metsola, who is on a visit to Romania, met on Tuesday with youngsters, within the event called „Together we are Europe,” organized by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Romania, in partnership with the Faculty of Law within the University of Bucharest.

Metsola said that Romania has met for years the requirements for the accession to Schengen.

The European Parliament President mentioned she had hoped to pay this visit one week after some positive decisions regarding Schengen, adding that Romania should get what it deserves, namely the accession to Schengen. Metsola mentioned that Romania has met all the necessary criteria to join the Schengen area and underscored her frustration, disappointment, however the high official said she wants to turn all these feelings into optimism and hope, the foundations which the Romanian solidarity is based on. She said she will fight so that Romania joins Schengen in 2023, noting she doesn’t even want to think of what would happen if Romania doesn’t join Schengen.

She brought to mind the European Parliament elections which are to take place in 2024 and urged the citizens to come and vote the representatives to the European Parliament, underscoring that the solidarity which Romania showed must be returned on this occasion.

The high official praised the aid granted by Romania to Ukrainian refugees. She went on saying that even though nobody told Romania what to do in this matter, the Romanians simply went to customs and welcomed thousands of refugees fleeing a war that no one could have imagined occurring in Europe in 2022. The European Parliament President said that democracy, the rule of law, territoriality, justice, equality were taken for granted and no one could have imagined that they could be violated so easily. Roberta Metsola pointed out that we, as Europeans, have relied too much on a neighbor whom we cannot actually rely on and who is blackmailing us.

The debate was hosted by the Aula Magna of the Law Faculty Palace within the University of Bucharest.

Agerpres