Abstract
Nordic countries are part of the borderless Schengen Area, but free movement in the Nordic countries, or Norden, dates back even further: no border controls or restrictions on workers’ movements have existed since the entry into force of the Nordic labour market and passport union in 1958. This article outlines how Finland and its neighbour Sweden, the only Nordic country to keep borders open for Finland in 2020, approached closed borders in Norden during the Covid-19 pandemic, when free movement of Nordic citizens was suspended for the first time in almost 70 years, to be restored only in summer 2021. The article examines the Finnish and Swedish border practices and political debates. Parliamentary discourses are analysed from the perspective of two ideal types of argumentation, namely utilitarian and deontological, arguing that the suspension of free movement leaves long-lasting scars in the trust of both politicians and citizens in interaction across borders.
Highlights
The Nordic countries are often lumped together, even though there are notable differences between the countries
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, free movement within the Nordic countries had been considered an important part of a Nordic democratic Rechtsstaat complying with the rule of law, the violation of which, even with good intentions, could not be justified
The right to move in the Nordic countries has, throughout history, become an almost Nozickian individual liberty,[67] which has led to a duty of the Nordic countries not to create restrictions between them
Summary
The Nordic countries are often lumped together, even though there are notable differences between the countries. The mass-scale movement of Finns, including Finnish Roma, in the 1960s and 1970s caused controversy in Sweden.[3] In addition, Denmark challenged the Schengen acquis in 2011 when it started to implement passport controls at the Swedish border; after Swedish and EU-level criticism, this practice was eventually discontinued.[4] Even though Nordic cooperation, mainly in the form of the Nordic Council, existed before the Nordic countries joined the European Union, the countries have not been able to coordinate their EU policies.[5] Finland and Sweden joined the EU at the same time in 1995, but they scarcely coordinate their EU positions despite close Nordic administrative cooperation on other issues.[6] This lack of coordination may be visible in the free movement context, as it is a question of EU cooperation.[7]. The concluding section speculates on the future of Nordic cooperation and open borders in a post-pandemic setting
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