Coronavirus: freedom of movement within the EU undermined

In this time of coronavirus, the EU is struggling to speak with one voice on freedoms of movement.

REUTERS / Thierry Roge

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

For European borders, the second wave of closures has indeed arrived.

First there was Hungary which has been closing its doors to non-residents since Tuesday and since Wednesday it is now Poland which bans direct flights from 44 countries including three countries of the European Union.

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With our correspondent in Brussels, 

Pierre Benazet

In the list of countries with which flights are prohibited, Poland has entered Malta, Spain and Romania.

This differentiation with the other countries of the Union makes cringe within the European Commission.

The EU already has Hungary in its sights as the only exception to the closure of the Magyar borders is the entry permit granted to healthy Czechs, Poles and Slovaks (those who can provide a negative test for the coronavirus dated less than five days).

The solidarity of the four countries of the Visegrád group in Central Europe is a classic, but in a letter to the Hungarian government, the European Commission warns on Monday that this discriminatory decision violates the principle of free movement of the Schengen area.

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To read also: Coronavirus: Hungary closes its borders to almost all foreigners

It should be noted, however, that the Commission has so far often preached in the desert.

As in March when she warned in vain that border closures were deemed ineffective by the World Health Organization.

In June, the Commission had also given up on imposing a binding reopening date for internal borders.

In this context, Germany, which holds the six-monthly presidency of the EU, will propose Wednesday a harmonization of border management, a coherent response to “ 

preserve the integrity of the Schengen area

 ”.

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  • European Union

  • Coronavirus

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