The Covid-19 crisis: the end of a borderless Europe?

ABSTRACT

This article reflects on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and border control measures on the narratives and experience of territorial borders and the social construction of boundaries. The Covid-19 crisis has revealed how strong and durable territorial borders still are and how rapidly the idea of a borderless Europe might change in divided Europe. The imposition of border controls and the temporary closure of borders in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus was particularly problematic for border region residents who live transnational lives and who share a common space by working, shopping and having friends and family on both sides of a border. The revival of territorial borders has demonstrated not only the power of national states, but also how interwoven the border regions have become. Hence, the article sheds light on the potential consequences of re-bordering processes for borderlands, presents public and ontological narratives that have emerged as a reaction to border closure and outlines new research fields.

KEYWORDS:

• Borders
• European integration
• Covid-19
• narratives
• border region residents

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Centre, Poland [grant number UMO/2018/29/B/HS6/00258]; German-Polish Science Foundation (DPWS), Germany [grant number 2017-09].

Notes on contributors

Elżbieta Opiłowska

Elżbieta Opiłowska is Associate Professor at the Institute of Sociology, University of Wrocław and Head of the Centre for Regional and Borderlands Studies. Currently, she is visiting professor of the Meyer-Struckmann Foundation at the European University Viadrina, Germany. Her research focuses on border and borderlands studies, European integration, memory cultures and German-Polish relations.