MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk from the "Renew Europe" group has held a demonstration in the center of Vienna against the Austrian veto on the membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen, BGNES reports. Outside the Ministry of the Interior he was supported by dozens of protesters, including his Romanian counterpart Vlad Botos and Helmut Brandstätter of Austria's liberal NEOS party.

According to the Bulgarian MEP, Bulgaria has met the criteria for Schengen membership since 2011 and joining the area of free movement is inevitable.

"The veto imposed by the government of Austria serves internal political purposes and seeks to create a sense of security on the backs of Bulgaria and Romania", the MEP said, adding that it was important for the two countries to jointly send clear and specific messages on the topic.

• MEPs call for protest in Vienna against the Schengen veto on December 4