Seventy-five years after the Schuman Declaration, Europe’s project of open borders is under pressure. The UniGR-CBS speaks with two researchers from the University of Luxembourg about what remains of the vision of a borderless Europe – at a time when an estimated 3.5 million people cross an internal EU border every day, yet border controls appear to be becoming politically normalized once again.
Birte Nienaber, Professor of Political Geography, and Christian Wille, Senior Researcher in Border Studies, explain from a border studies perspective: borders are no longer mere lines – they are complex power apparatus, often invisible yet highly effective.
May 9 is known as Europe Day and is even a public holiday in Luxembourg. What does this day stand for?
It is certainly no coincidence that Luxembourg celebrates Europe Day in a particularly meaningful way – the country at the heart of Europe is a symbol of European integration. May 9 marks a central date in Europe’s history: exactly seventy-five years ago, then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman laid the foundation for a united Europe with his declaration. He presented the political vision of a European federation, initially based on the joint control of coal and steel – as an instrument of peacekeeping. This laid the groundwork for what we now know as the EU’s internal market.
Would you say that Robert Schuman was a pioneer of the European idea?
Absolutely. Schuman was a visionary of the European project. This is particularly remarkable given the historical context: in 1950, Europe was still scarred by the destruction of the Second World War, and Franco-German enmity remained a defining factor. To think beyond national borders in such a context was a radical step. Today, cross-border interconnections are taken for granted by many – especially within the Schengen Area. It is estimated that 3.5 million people cross an internal EU border every day, and about 1.7 million live and work in different countries. Luxembourg is a prime example: around 233,000 people commute daily from neighbouring countries – that’s about half of the country’s entire workforce.
In recent years, temporary border controls within the EU have been reintroduced more frequently. Isn’t that a step backwards for Europe?
Indeed, we are witnessing an increase in temporary border controls, even though the Schengen Code only permits such measures in cases of serious threats to public order or internal security. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there has been a tendency to instrumentalize the influx of asylum seekers to justify such threat scenarios. This is politically questionable – especially in countries where populist forces are gaining strength and undermining democratic values. These developments threaten the core achievements of European integration and cast doubt on what Schuman formulated in 1950 and what was given legal form in the Schengen Agreement of 1985: a Europe without internal borders.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement. How will this anniversary be commemorated?
The anniversary is both an occasion to look back – and, above all, to look ahead. On 11 June, we are organising a public conference in Luxembourg where we will critically discuss the development of the Schengen Area with representatives of the European Commission, the Luxembourg government, civil society actors, and researchers. Together, we will explore how a European space based on solidarity and openness can remain possible in the future. In doing so, the conference also revisits Schuman’s central question from 75 years ago: how can peace in Europe be sustainably secured?
The permeability of borders seems to be contested not only in Europe. Are we living in an age of borders?
Terms like “world of borders” or “renaissance of borders” make this abundantly clear. Globally, we have been witnessing a significant quantitative expansion of security infrastructures – in the U.S. since 9/11 at the latest, and in Europe increasingly since the so-called long summer of migration. However, it is not only the increase in borders that is decisive, but also their changing nature. Borders today are no longer mere lines of separation – they are complex power apparatus. They select based on categories such as belonging, utility, or security – not only at state borders, but increasingly in digital and urban spaces as well.
What questions does this new quality of borders raise for research?
Border studies have undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Today, key research questions revolve around digital surveillance, big data management, biometrics, discursive categorizations, and not least, the resilience of democratic systems. Border Studies has become a firmly interdisciplinary field, bringing together perspectives from geography, sociology, political science, history, and cultural studies. We convey this broad range of approaches to our master’s students – who are not only trained to analyse the “world of borders” but also to help shape the Europe of tomorrow.
What does this look like in practice in the master’s programme you mentioned?
In the trinational Master in Border Studies, students experience a cross-border academic environment: courses are taught at four universities in three countries. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and multilingual, offering specializations in a spatial or cultural track of border studies. Our graduates receive a joint degree from all four participating universities and are well-prepared for demanding careers – for instance, in international organisations, public administrations, civil society, or academia. Studying this master’s programme means experiencing Europe and its borders first-hand – currently both with and without controls at the border.
Contact
Birte Nienaber
Christian Wille