Bulgarian PM Blames Schengen Failure on Political Crisis

Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has claimed that his country would have joined Schengen if it were not for its internal political turmoil.

"I believe that we would have entered Schengen by air at the (European Council) meeting on March 14, since, as you know, only the Netherlands was against," Borisov stated during a Council of Ministers sitting.

"But the developments in Bulgaria are, of course, alarming for everyone, and not just because the government resigned," he added.

The debate on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen was expectedly postponed for end-2013 during Thursday's sitting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.

At least three countries - Germany, Finland and the Netherlands - are currently opposing Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession bids, as they want the two Balkan countries to show more convincing results in their combat against corruption and organized crime.

Bulgaria's center-right GERB government resigned on February 20 amid mass nationwide protests over high utility bills, poverty and corruption.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has set May 12 as the date for early elections.

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