‘Governments are really scared’: Virus builds back borders that European Union demolished
A worsening coronavirus pandemic has driven European leaders to revive border controls within the European Union after three decades of efforts to abolish internal borders within the continent. “The governments are really scared that the virus does not spread, so they are afraid of allowing any kind of freedom of movement,” Kinga Brudzinska, a foreign policy analyst at GLOBSEC in Slovakia, told the Washington Examiner.
Italy’s stunning struggle to cope with the new contagion spurred Hungary and Austria to close borders with their southern neighbor on March 11. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hoped that a ban on entry into the EU would undercut the push for border controls, but 21 countries in the bloc already have banned foreign entry into their nations. “From today's perspective, we can see why we need stricter controls,” a European diplomat told the Washington Examiner. “Of course, border control is very unusual for EU, but the times are very unusual.”
Even Germany, one of the pioneers of the Schengen Area (as the borderless internal territory of the EU is known), decided to close its borders to other EU countries Wednesday evening. Brussels has greeted the restrictions, which are permissible under EU rules, with reluctant acquiescence. “Travel restrictions are not the most effective way to contain the pandemic. But it is essential we take urgent and concerted action now to slow down the virus,” EU Embassy spokesman Kasper Zeuthen told the Washington Examiner. “In time, action at external borders could enable the lifting of controls at internal borders. Internal border controls have a big impact on the functioning of our internal market.”
The renewed border controls spurred a surge of travel across the EU, reportedly resulting in 20-hour waiting times on some borders. The unusual border controls resulted in a controversy between Poland and the Baltic states, whose citizens in Western Europe were temporarily prevented from crossing through Poland to their home countries. “It led to a diplomatic crisis, and eventually, those cars were escorted, and they had to be checked that they were not stopped on the Polish territory,” Brudzinska said. “Without borders for so many years right now, member states are not ready to execute smooth border checks.”
The sheer inconvenience of the internal border controls might bode well for the EU’s Schengen ideals, according to some officials. “They see when some barriers are already in place crossing the borders, it's so difficult for citizens,” the European diplomat said. “The overall crisis shows the value of the EU and that we had free movement of persons and goods, and my sense is that we appreciate these things even more.” And yet, this is the second crisis in four years that animated suspicion of travelers from other EU countries, with no end to the coronavirus pandemic in sight. Just as Austria and Germany have decided to extend their temporary border controls repeatedly since the 2015 refugee crisis, it just as possible that in some countries, Brudzinska observed, “border controls will stay up.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/governments-are-really-scared-virus-builds-back-borders-that-european-union-demolished