Gateway to Europe or Gateway in Europe? Attitudes to Europe and the European Union In the Danish–Swedish Øresund Border Region Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Crisis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18357/big_r71202522496Keywords:
Euro-skepticism, Euro-absence, Sjælland, SjællandSkåne (Scania), Greater Copenhagen, ScandinaviaAbstract
This article analyzes media in the Danish–Swedish Øresund region between 2019 and 2024. Based on an analysis of five local newspapers, the article argues that COVID-19 intensified processes of rebordering between Denmark and southern Sweden. Paradoxically, the process rendered opposition to bordering, in general, more visible. National governments were blamed for the situation, while local and regional actors were not. These developments coincided with similar events at other European border sites and formed part of the broader dynamics of the European integration process. The European Union’s rule-making authority provides a basis for questioning the legality of border controls and closures, as well as contesting bordering processes. Furthermore, rules of European origin in other policy areas and sectors occasionally appear in borderland coverage, but they are rarely integrated into a coherent border-related context. Overall, the prevailing attitude toward Europe seems to be one of Euro-absence.
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