Schengen zone: It Should be Naïve to Think It will be Preserved in This Way

In an interview in front of the Bulgarian National Television in early January, the MEP with the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB)/European People’s Party (EPP) Maria Gabriel stated that it would be naïve for all of us to think that the Schengen zone could be preserved the way it has been functioning so far.

She further stated that several months ago, Schengen was perceived as a zone with freedom of movement. Yet, the travel free Schengen is not only about freedom of movement. It is and has always been about security and control over the external borders. And it is exactly that dimension that has to be strengthened. Here comes the proposal for each person that is owning a Schengen passport to be systematically checked upon leaving and then upon returning to the territory of Europe. These concrete and adequate measures will allow us all to shift the pseudo-debate on Schengen to a serious debate on how to improve Schengen and preserve its spirit.