The President of Bulgaria and acting ministers responded to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, on his comments on the reasons for blocking Sofia's application to join the Schengen zone.

 Euractiv writes about it.

 The Netherlands strongly opposes Bulgaria's entry, and Rutte has said that Bulgaria is allowing corruption on its borders.

 "Recently, three Bulgarian policemen were killed protecting the external border of the EU. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, inappropriately suggested that this border can be crossed for 50 euros. Instead of receiving European solidarity, Bulgaria receives cynicism," said President Rumen Radev

 The chief prosecutor of Bulgaria, Ivan Geshev, also joined the criticism of the Dutch leader.

 "In connection with the statement of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, that he "wants to eliminate the possibility of illegally crossing the border between Turkey and the Schengen area in Bulgaria with the help of a 50 euro banknote", as the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria states, that the prosecutor's office has neither data nor evidence for such assumptions," his department said in a statement.

 Stefan Yanev, former acting head of state, reacted most sharply to this. Prime Minister, and now the leader of the "Bulgarian Rise" party. He even submitted to the parliament a draft decision that would force the prime minister to oppose all Dutch initiatives at the EU level.

 Acting Ministers of Justice and Internal Affairs Krum Zarkov and Ivan Demerjiev also responded to Rutti with very harsh comments.

 "Every day, Bulgarian security forces protect the peace of all European citizens, including the Dutch, at the hardest external land border of the European Union, despite the increased migration pressure - four times higher than last year. The assumption that you can cross the border for 50 euros is extremely insulting. Our efforts do not deserve insults!", commented Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerjiev, who, together with Foreign Minister Mykola Milkov, visited the Netherlands to try to change The Hague's position.

 "Mark Rutte suggested that for 50 euros you can cross the border. Bulgarians died to protect not only us, but also them. Rutte should be careful," said Minister of Justice Krum Zarkov.

 It will be recalled that the Dutch government decided to agree to the accession of Romania and Croatia to the Schengen zone, but to block the entry of Bulgaria.

 The expansion of Schengen to three countries is on the agenda of the meeting of interior ministers of EU countries on December 8.