New publication: The impacts of the covidfencing phenomenon in three European cross border regions

ABSTRACT
This article adopts a temporal and multi-level perspective on the phenomenon of covidfencing, which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s and led to widespread ‘re-bordering’ across European cross-border regions. It explores how different regions experienced covidfencing and analyzes the processes that produced divergent outcomes, considering developments at regional, national, and European levels. By assessing the situation several years after the initial crisis, the article examines the persistence of changes to the constitutionalization and everyday functioning of cross-border regions. Drawing on qualitative research in the Geneva Basin, Greater Saar-Lor-Lux, and Öresund regions, it identifies tangible reforms in taxation, social security, and remote work frameworks that have reshaped cross-border mobility and governance. The article also looks ahead to evaluate what institutional changes have been made to improve crisis preparedness and which lessons from the covidfencing period remain unaddressed. In doing so, it contributes to current debates on regional governance resilience, offering insights into how the experiences of the early 2020s have influenced the evolving role and structure of cross-border regions in Europe today.

Pugh, R., Öberg, M. L., Van Rems, T. T., Shi, J., Beylier, P. A., Evrard, E., Pigeron-Piroth, I. & Pocek, J. (2026). The impacts of the covidfencing phenomenon in three European cross border regions. European Planning Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2026.2655883

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