Sebastian Schäffer at the Budapest Balkans Forum on Tour in Sofia

On 9 December IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer discussed at the Embassy of Hungary in Sofia about “Enhancing Connectivity within the EU: the Schengen Area Enlargement” in the framework of the Budapest Balkans Forum on Tour program organised by the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA). After Opening Remarks by H.E. Miklós Boros, Ambassador of Hungary in Sofia as well as Ákos Mernyei, Ambassador for Global Public Diplomacy Engagement, Adviser to the President

Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, the Keynote Speech was held by Elena Shekerletova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. In the following panel discussion moderated by Julianna Armas (HIIA) with Ambassador Bisserka Benisheva (Director for EU Affairs, PanEuropa Bulgaria), Mihai Sebe, (Head of Unit of the European Studies Unit, European Institute of Romania), as well as Csaba Stefán (Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs), Schäffer explained the Austrian veto against the Schengen accession, why he believes that it could have set a dangerous precedent and that it was a relatively low hanging fruit to allow Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen area given the challenges European integration is facing.