EU's border-free Schengen zone needs overhaul, political leadership - Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron gestures at the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Home Affairs in Tourcoing, France, February 2, 2022. Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS

TOURCOING, France (Reuters) - The European Union's border-free Schengen area should be managed by regular ministerial meetings, just like the euro zone, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, adding that this could start as early as next month.

National security concerns, waves of migration and, most recently, the coronavirus pandemic have led to the re-emergence of border controls in the Schengen zone and much criticism of how it functions, eroding what had been hailed as a milestone achievement in Europe's post-World War Two integration.