Bulgarian hopes for Schengen are dimmed by France for a second time

According to Najat Belkacem-Vallaud, the French government spokesperson, Bulgaria and Romania have not fulfilled the requirements for getting a membership in the Schengen free travel zone. France showed once again that it is not ready and not willing to accept Romania and Bulgaria as members of the Schengen area, and it claims that other member state countries from the passport-free union are not willing either. At the end of September Manuel Valls, the French Minister of Interior Affairs, confirmed that his country have not filed the accession of Romania and Bulgaria into the agenda. The French Minister also pointed out that the Roma population from the two countries should be send back to Bulgaria and Romania, since it cannot integrate in the French style of living. This statement caused severe reaction and received strong criticism on the side of the European Commission.

Even so, Chair of former President Nickolas Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement Jean-François Cope demanded from the Head of State at the moment to declare officially the position of the country on the matter – France is against Bulgaria and Romania entering the Schengen area. The regulations allowed all European Union countries to postpone their labor markets opening for Romania and Bulgaria for a maximum period of seven years starting from the access of the two countries into the European Union back in 2007. Actually a great deal of the countries have already lifted these restrictions, however France is not one of them even if its deadline is in January 2014. France or rather some of its politicians firmly oppose the Romanian and the Bulgarian entry into the Schengen zone.