Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister of Croatia, has reiterated his belief that Croatia will become part of the Schengen territory very soon in spite of current border disputes with Northern neighbor Slovenia and the reported police abuse on migrants at its borders.
PM Plenkovic’s statement came after the announcement by new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Dubravka Suica, the current Croatian Member of European Parliament would be holding the post of Vice President who is responsible for democracy and demography.
Plenkovic is so confident that Croatia will “absolutely enter the Schengen”, even with the recent dispute with Slovenia.
“It is not possible in international activities and the community to urge Croatia to respect the concept of the rule of law, while at the same time having a legacy about this and such arbitration proceedings, during which it is contrary to law, practice and everything you can imagine in a judicial process. There was an agreement between the Slovenian agent and the judge. If this were to happen in any kind of commercial arbitration, I doubt any of the actors would later become an arbitrator or lawyer,” Plenkovic remarked on the issue with Slovenia.
In a meeting among the presidents of Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria in Croatia in the first week of September, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic also expressed her confidence about Croatia’s joining the Schengen territory soon and its ability to contribute to better protect the borders.
“When Croatian borders become Schengen borders as well, they will be even better protected,” President Kitarovic claimed, without discussing the issues on its dispute with Slovenia nor with the reports of police abuse of migrants. Croatia, the last member country that joined the European Union in 2013, is one of the four remaining EU countries that have yet to become part of the Schengen territory, the other three being Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus while the UK and Ireland have opted out.
