Europa XXI (2022) vol. 43

The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for cross-border cooperation? Lessons learnt for border-regional resilience

Stefan Hippe, Dominik Bertram, Tobias Chilla

Europa XXI (2022) vol. 43, pp. 29-50 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2022.43.1

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a suspension of the Schengen Agreement within the European Union: national borders were partially controlled or closed. Especially in European border regions, where the idea of European integration is most evident, this led to limitations of cross-border linkages, putting the question of border-regional resilience into the focus of border studies. Based on the case study of German border regions, we operationalize the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the German border. Particularly interesting with regard to the concept of border-regional resilience are the results of a two-stage Delphi survey with border-regional experts. Even if the border closures as such were a political crisis, some of the long-term effects might be considered positive.

Keywords: border regions, border-regional resilience, COVID-19 pandemic, crises, cross-border cooperation, resilience

Stefan Hippe [stefan.hippe@fau.de], Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen: Germany
Dominik Bertram [dominik.db.bertram@fau.de], Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen: Germany
Tobias Chilla [tobias.chilla@fau.de], Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen: Germany

Citation

APA: Hippe, S., Bertram, D., & Chilla, T. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for cross-border cooperation? Lessons learnt for border-regional resilience. Europa XXI, 43, 29-50. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2022.43.1

MLA: Hippe, Stefan, et al. "The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for cross-border cooperation? Lessons learnt for border-regional resilience". Europa XXI, vol. 43, 2022, pp. 29-50. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2022.43.1

Chicago: Hippe, Stefan, Bertram, Dominik and Chilla, Tobias. "The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for cross-border cooperation? Lessons learnt for border-regional resilience". Europa XXI 43 (2022): 29-50. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2022.43.1

Harvard: Hippe, S., Bertram, D., & Chilla, T. 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for cross-border cooperation? Lessons learnt for border-regional resilience". Europa XXI, vol. 43, pp. 29-50. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2022.43.1