282
0
The European Union is extremely annoyed by Budapest's decision to relax entry rules for Russians and Belarusians. In particular, there are proposals to suspend Hungary's membership in the Schengen free travel zone, writes Politico.
Thus, two members of the European Parliament - Danusha Nerudova from the Czech Republic and Piatras Auštrevičius from Lithuania - wrote a letter to the European Commission demanding an urgent investigation into Hungary's actions. They believe that Budapest can create a loophole for the Russians, which will endanger the overall functioning of the Schengen zone as a safe space for EU citizens.
"If the Hungarian government refuses to change its policy, the Commission and all EU representatives must question Hungary's presence in the Schengen area by introducing new measures to protect European citizens, including new controls at Hungarian borders, if necessary," the letter reads.
As Politico points out, as of Sunday evening, the letter had collected almost 70 signatures of European politicians, including the former prime ministers of Belgium and Ireland.
Hungary eases entry for Russians and Belarusians
As I wrote, at the end of July it became known that Hungary allowed citizens of Russia and Belarus to enter the EU without security checks. According to the German publication RND, now Russians can freely enter Hungary without any checks and move to other EU countries. This became possible thanks to their registration in Hungary as employees.
The European Commission announced that they will demand from Hungary to explain the easing of visa requirements for Russians and Belarusians. According to the spokeswoman of the European Commission, the highest executive body of the EU will talk with Budapest about the scope of such a decision.
