Austria blocks two EU nations bids to join Schengen zone

Europe's free-travel zone will only expand to include Croatia in 2023

The Schengen Area, Europe's visa-free travel zone, will expand for the first time in over a decade after all 26 member states voted on Thursday to accept Croatia into the agreement. The country will become a full-fledged member of the passport-free zone as of January 1.

Romania and Bulgaria, however, have once again faile