Luxembourg Reaffirms Strong Support for Schengen, Slams Internal Border Controls

Luxembourg’s Minister for Home Affairs, Léon Gloden, has reaffirmed the country’s unwavering commitment to the Schengen Agreement, calling for the continued dismantling of internal borders across Europe.

Speaking at a ceremony aboard a ship on the Moselle River, near the village of Schengen where the landmark agreement was signed 40 years ago, Gloden stated:
“Luxembourg, the birthplace of Schengen, carries a special responsibility to keep its spirit alive. Our position is clear: we fully support the Schengen Agreement and firmly reject internal border controls within the EU. It is essential to dismantle borders in people’s minds, not rebuild them. Schengen must be alive.”

The commemorative event, marking four decades since the signing of the agreement that enabled free movement across much of Europe, took place on Thursday aboard the Princesse Marie Astrid; the same vessel where the original pact was signed on 14 June 1985.

Luxembourg has formally complained to the European Commission over Germany’s decision to reintroduce border controls in September 2024 but has stopped short of escalating the issue to the European Court of Justice.

The Schengen Area, which began with five founding countries, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, now includes 29 European nations, including non-EU members such as Iceland and Norway, all of which have abolished internal border checks.

The anniversary event was co-hosted by Gloden and Poland’s Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, representing the rotating presidency of the European Council. It brought together home affairs ministers from across the Schengen Area for a commemorative dinner on board the Princesse Marie Astrid, ahead of a two-day EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.