Spain doesn't fear expulsion from Schengen, but suspension

Schengen: nobody expels Spain, but suspension is another story

20 hours ago, Spain's Cadena SER published an article with a blunt headline: the European far right's attempt to kick Spain out of the Schengen area is a hoax, because no single country can expel another. The piece came amid an offensive by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, backed by Finland and Denmark. At first glance, the claim seems unassailable. But the fine print of the free movement area paints a somewhat more uncomfortable picture.

SER's straw man

The criticism of the article is swift: SER is facing a straw man, because no serious player proposes a unilateral expulsion. The real question, the argument goes, is whether the EU as a whole can make decisions. And here comes a fact that professional fact-checkers overlook: the decision on a country's fate within Schengen is taken by qualified majority. 22 of the 29 European states involved (28 not counting Spain) could, collectively, remove the country from the common area. It wouldn't be a swift expulsion, but it would be a de facto suspension.

Expulsion vs. suspension: more than a legal nuance

While the official narrative insists there is no legal basis for expulsion, skeptics point out that suspension clauses exist for extreme cases. With a sufficient majority, the EU could approve measures amounting to a temporary expulsion. SER may be right on the formalities, but the far right's 'hoax' stands on slippery ground: if the collective body acts, the end result is the same. For those on the receiving end, the difference between not being able to expel and being able to suspend is barely a euphemism.

The debate is stuck at that uncomfortable point. Meanwhile, the backing of Finland and Denmark for Meloni shows the idea is not an isolated outburst. The hoax, if it is one, has found fertile ground.