Because of the Ukraine war
Union politicians are demanding: No more holiday visas for Russian tourists
Relaxing on the beach in Sardinia? That should be taboo for Russian tourists in the future, at least if some politicians from the CDU and CSU have their way
© Helmut Corneli / Picture Alliance
Pyongyang instead of Paris – politicians from the CDU and CSU, who have now called for Russian tourists not to be issued holiday visas in the EU, use this catchy formula.
Union politicians have called for tourist visas to be suspended for Russian citizens. “Holiday visas for Russians must be stopped. In Putin’s Russia, holiday destinations can no longer be called Paris and Porto but Pyongyang and Beijing,” said Andrea Lindholz (CSU), deputy leader of the Union faction, of “Bild”. It is about sending clear signals to the Russian population.
The European politician Dennis Radtke (CDU) told the newspaper that it was “intolerable that Russians are vacationing in Europe and celebrating their money as if nothing had happened”. Germany and Europe are currently threatening “to fall asleep with sanctions and arms deliveries.” Anyone who wants to stop Putin must not give up now, but must follow up with a tourist visa ban for Russian citizens.
Visas for Russian tourists: Several countries prevent entry
Because of the Russian war against Ukraine, several countries had single-handedly stopped issuing Schengen visas to Russians in recent weeks. These include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Finland wants to follow from September, Poland is considering a similar arrangement. Denmark is pushing for an EU solution and otherwise also wants to act itself.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Greens chairman Omid Nouripour had recently expressed their rejection of the corresponding proposals.