Effects of ‘Covidfencing’ on cross-border commuting: a case of Czech-German borderland

ABSTRACT

Cross-border commuters were faced with several problems during the Covid-19 pandemic. Borders were closed, strict checks were introduced thereon and their commuting and often working realities changed. This study focuses on how closed borders and border restrictions affected cross-border workers and their day-to-day work during the Covid-19 pandemic, how their trust in governments and regional municipalities in Czechia and Germany has changed as a result of covidfencing, and how measures during the Covid-19 pandemic changed commuters’ attitudes towards the EU, freedoms and the European single market. Theoretically, the study is rooted in the concept of cross-border integration and the research itself was conducted this spring in the form of semi-structured interviews among cross-border commuters. Research shows a criticism expressed by cross-border commuters towards the attitude of the Czech government and regional municipalities. The commuters argue that they merely use open borders and the opportunity to work within the EU, but that the Czech government and regions have disproportionately prevented them from doing so while turning public sentiment against them. According to them, it is disappointing that Czechia in particular has ignored the fact that they have valid employment contracts within the EU and are obliged to abide by them.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-border commuters
• Covid-19
• cross-border integration
• re-bordering
• Czech Republic
• Germany

Acknowledgements

This paper is a result of a Student Grant Competition at UJEP (2021–2022) – project No. UJEP-SGS-2021-63-002-2, ‘Current political problems of Central Europe’.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).