Romania's entry into Schengen is not a cause for joy for everyone, local media comment in their reports on the subject. They tell about the town of Nădlac, in Arad County, in the western part of the country, right on the border with Hungary.
“Before, the customs office in Nădlac was always busy. Drivers sometimes waited for hours to cross the border. Now, after traffic was mostly redirected to the highway, the area is almost deserted. Fewer and fewer customers are arriving at the kiosks and gas stations. In the past, I used to sell 20-30 vignettes at that time. In the season - even more. Today I sold only three. We risk losing our jobs,” Jarmila Kromek, the administrator of the vignette point, told PRO TV.
According to her, since Romania joined Schengen, sales at the vignette points have decreased by about 70 percent.
“It was full here, 300-400 trucks a day. Since we joined Schengen, the world has turned its back on us, and turnover has decreased by 30-40 percent,” commented Mihai Hegies, a gas station manager.
Local residents say that people used to stop to exchange currency or eat at one of the restaurants in the area, but now they head straight for the highway. Under these conditions, the city council's budget will be affected.
“Companies that close their operations will no longer contribute to the local budget. There are indications that some of the people who worked in this area plan to sell their properties and move. There are exchange offices that no longer have a purpose and will have to close”, commented the mayor of Nadlac, Mircea Onia.
He is not optimistic about the future, since the city is experiencing demographic decline, in addition to economic decline. Young people are choosing to leave Nadlac in search of well-paid jobs.
The authorities want to open the city to the highway in the hope that this will revitalize Nadlac.