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French National Assembly president Richard Ferrand and his German counterpart Wolfgang Schäuble speak in favor of quickly reopening the European borders “as soon as the conditions are met”.
Because of the health crisis and in order to limit the spread of Covid-19, EU BORDERS are closed. But while inhabitants in many countries are no longer contained at home, French and German
National Assembly presidents, RICHARD FERRAND, and WOLFGANG SCHÄUBLE, call for EU BORDERS TO QUICKLY REOPEN IN THE SCHENGEN AREA. “_France and Germany must work for the immediate restoration
of free movement within the Schengen area, as soon as the conditions are met_” RICHARD FERRAND and WOLFGANG SCHÄUBLE explained in a joint statement. These closures are not without
consequences, as RICHARD FERRAND and his German counterpart say. “_The closure of the Franco-German border has already had heavy consequences, which go well beyond the border region and
weigh, in particular, on the perception of Franco-German relations_” they say. This statement comes only two days after a meeting planned at the French-German parliamentary assembly. For the
record, the EUROPEAN UNION wished to COORDINATINGLY REOPEN EU BORDERS and recommended the twenty-seven countries of the Union to keep borders outside the European Union closed until June
15th. Italy has yet already announced BORDERS WILL REOPEN TO EU TOURISTS from June 3rd. SPAIN and GREECE expect to reopen their borders from July 1st. Interviewed on FRANCE INTER on May 26,
the MINISTER FOR EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS wanted to reassure French by saying: “_On June 15th, we will be very clear as for the possibility to open EU inner borders more. […] Today, there
are controls, circulation restrictions with the European space that are gradually made softer to enable an easier way for cross-border workers and medical staff_” JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN said,
before adding that we “_will have to comprehend the situation at the end of the week to see if we can go beyond the openings_”. As for borders outer EU, closed until June 15, the Minister
says that “_they will be probably still closed afterwards_” because “_the pandemic is spreading in other countries in an extremely significative fashion, we will have to protect ourselves_”.