The Impact of Covid-19 on Structure and Agency in a Borderland. The Case of Two Twin Towns in Central Europe

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked numerous unintended social and political consequences, especially for border regions as many European states decided to temporarily close their borders. This decision had a tremendous effect not only on the work of various actors in border towns, but also on the lives of borderlanders, whose daily practices are embedded in cross-border spaces. By applying a strategic-relational approach (Jessop [2001]. Institutional Re(Turns) and the Strategic – Relational Approach. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 33, no. 7: 1213–35. doi:10.1068/a32183), our article aims to explore the impact of the pandemic on institutional structures and the agency of various actors in two selected twin towns – Frankfurt an der Oder-Słubice and Cieszyn-Český Těšín. Based on both expert, semi-structured interviews with representatives of the above-mentioned towns and a document analysis, it elaborates on the coping strategies deployed to counteract the challenges caused by the border closure, the factors impacting cross-border cooperation, as well as the similarities and differences between the selected cases .